Chapter 17: Exploring More Important Verb Structures 257
Whereas the zero conditional uses the same tense in both clauses, the first
conditional doesn’t. This time the structure is basically: ‘If’ or ‘when’ plus
a verb in the present simple with a verb in the future simple in the other
clause.The structure still contains two clauses and one includes’ if’ or ‘when’, but it
looks like this:If you aren’t nice to me, I’ll leave.
Will you help me fix my car, if I bring it to your house?When we finish this job, we will not stop.You can swap ‘will’ for a modal verb or ‘to be going to’ as well:If you aren’t too busy, can you come to my office?
He might come, when it stops raining.I’m going to take away your toys, if you don’t stop spitting.You can swap ‘if’ or ‘when’ for a couple of other expressions too, namely
‘whether or not’ and ‘unless’. In this case, you use a verb in the future simple
tense first, then ‘whether or not’ or ‘unless’ followed by a verb in present
simple (positive, meaning without not or n’t ).You will have to work late, whether or not you want to.
I won’t talk to you, unless you give me back my money.Unless something extraordinary happens, she’ll probably come.But you can’t put ‘if’ or ‘when’ in the same clause as ‘will’, so you can’t say
something like, ‘If I will see him, I will tell him’.Following the chain activity and matching exercises in the section on the zero
conditional, take this a step further by designing some 1st conditional domi-
noes, like those in Figure 17-2.
They’re a little time consuming to prepare initially, but if you use some sturdy
card or a laminator, you can keep them for ages. The aim is for students to
match sentence clauses together so that they make sense, and the first stu-
dent to use all his cards is the winner. You may have to act as referee though!
Another way to give students practice in a freer way is to talk about threats,
which are generally in the first conditional anyway. Tell the class an anecdote
about a time when you were threatened and what happened and then say:
Write about a time when you were threatened or made a threat yourself.
Explain why the situation happened and if the threat was carried out.