First Conditional

Events that have a real possibility of happening

Activity 1: write your own note to the postman (or the milkman, the delivery man, your friend, your mum, etc.) using at least one conditional sentence of the 1st type. Then stick it on your own window, door, fridge, etc.

Canterbury 2009

• Activity 2: Pirate Weather Report

Watch the video and then complete the second part of the conditional sentences.

E.g.: If you see a black cat on board, tomorrow will be dry and sunny.

1. If someone throws the black cat out of the ship, ______________________________

2. If you see an albatross, _________________________________

3. If someone shoots the albatross, ___________________________________

4. If you sail on Friday, __________________________________

5. If you're out on the high seas, ___________________________

• Activity 3: Surrealist conditional sentences.(In pairs)

The first player must write a hipotetical sentence beginning with "If" or "When", then conceal it. The second player writes a sentence in the conditional or future tense (although it is possible to play this game with all the types of conditional)

Example:

First player Second player

If children strike their fathers All young people will have white hair

• Activity 4: Conditional chains

The teacher writes on the board an 'if' clause: ( If I go out tonight...) The first student completes it (If I go out tonight, I will see my friends). Then, the next student makes a complete conditional sentence using the second part of the previous sentence to form his 'if clause' (If I see my friends, I will tell them about my new boyfriend) The process goes on until everyone in the class has participated. (This game can be used to practice 2nd, and 3rd conditional, too)

• Activity 5: The Butterfly Effect

First of all, the concept of the butterfly effect is explained or elicited from the students, using the following example:

Peter Doig

Should I stay or should I go (The Clash)

Darling, you gotta let me know

Should I stay or should I go?

If you say that you are mine

(1) _______________________

So you gotta let me know

Should I stay or should I go?

I'll always tease,tease,tease

You're happy when I'm on my knees

One day is fine and the next is black

So (2) _____________________

Well, come on and let me know

Should I stay or should I go?

Should I stay or should I go now?

Should I stay or should I go now?

If I go (3) ___________________

And (4) ____________________ it will be double

So come on and let me know

The indecisions bugging me

If you don't want me (5) _____________________

Exactly who I'm supposed to be

Don't you know which clothes even fit me?

Come on and let me know

Should I cool it or should I blow

• Activity 7: Listen to the song and fill in the gaps with the following clauses

• Activity 8: What kind of situation does the song describe? Has it ever happened to you?

Girl from the South Country (Bob Dylan Johnny Cash)

If you're travelling to the south country fair

Where the sun hits straight on the borderline

Remember me to one who lives there

For she was once a true love of mine.

See for me, that her hair is tied up,

It curls and flows all down her back

See for me that her hair is tied up

That's the way I remember her best.

If you go when the sunrays fall

When the rivers dry and summer stays

Please see for me if she's wearing a hat so wide

to keep her from the scorching sun.

If you're travelling in the south country fair

Where the sun hits straight on the borderline

Please say hello to one who lives there

For she once was a true love of mine.

If you're travelling in the south country fair

Where the sun hits straight on the borderline

Remember me to one who lives there

For she once was a true love of mine.

• Activity 9: Listen to the song and correct the lyrics.

Scarborough Fair (Marianne Faithfull)

Have you been to Scarborough Fair

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Remember me to one that lives there

For once she once was a true lover of mine.

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

One with no seams, of fine needlework

And then she'll be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to dry it 'pon yonder thorn

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

That never bore fruit since Adam was born

And then she'll be a true lover of mine.

Ah, can you find me an acre of land

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Between the salt sea and the seaside

Or never be a true lover of mine.

And can you plough it with a sheep's horn

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

And sow it all over with one peppercorn

Or never be a true lover of mine.

And when you have done and finished your work

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

Then come to me for your cambric shirt

And then you'll be a true lover of mine.

If there's no home for nature, there'll be no nature

If you build it, they will come.

Give nature a home where you live.

For our free guide, visit our website today.

RSPB, giving nature a home

• Activity 10: In this song there are many "hidden" conditional sentences. Find them and rewrite them in the form of a conditional sentence of the first type.

E.g. Tell her to make me a cambric shirt ... one with no seams, of fine needlework and then she´ll be a true lover of mine = If she makes me a Cambric shirt, one with no seams, of fine needlework, she´ll be a true lover of mine.