FCE Preparation Course T2
Lesson Plan – Tue. June 18
Conditionals: Zero, First, Second, and Third
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to use Zero, First, Second, and Third conditionals in
both spoken and written contexts.
1. Review
Hand out exams so they see their mistakes.
Briefly review each point of grammar covered in the exam.
Go over each of the exercises in the Homework.
2. Introduction
Explain the objective of the lesson: to understand and practice Zero, First, Second, and
Third conditionals.
Provide examples of each type of conditional on the board.
3. Zero Conditional
Explanation: Explain that Zero Conditional is used for general truths and facts.
Structure: If + present simple, present simple
Examples:
If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils.
If you eat a lot, you put on weight.
If it doesn’t rain for a long time, the earth gets very dry.
If we go out with friends, we normally go to a restaurant.
If I’m tired, I go to bed early.
Practice: Have students complete sentences using the Zero Conditional with provided
prompts. (e.g., If it rains, _______________.)
4. First Conditional
Explanation: Explain that First Conditional is used for real situations and their possible
results in the future.
Structure: If + present simple, will + base verb
1
Example: If it rains tomorrow, I will stay at home."
If you’re free later, we can go for a walk.
If they’re hungry, I’ll make some sandwiches.
If you’re not back by 5pm, give me a ring.
If he studies hard, he’ll do well in the exam.
If we arrive late, we must get a taxi.
He’ll call if he needs help.
Take a break if you’re tired.
Practice: Conduct a guided practice where students create their own First Conditional
sentences based on given situations.
5. Second Conditional
Explanation: Explain that Second Conditional is used for hypothetical or unreal situations
in the present or future.
Structure: If + past simple, would + base verb
Example: "If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house."
If I had more time, I’d exercise more. (But I don’t have more time so I don’t.)
If I were rich, I’d spend all my time travelling. (But I’m not rich so I can’t.)
If she saw a snake, she’d be terrified.
If he didn’t have to work late, he could go out with his girlfriend.
What would you do if you were offered a job in Canada?
You wouldn’t have to walk everywhere if you bought a bike.
A common expression used to give advice has the second conditional structure. The
expression is ‘If I were you, I’d..’, meaning ‘in your situation, this is what I would do’. For
example:
A: I’ve got a headache. B: If I were you, I’d take an aspirin.
A: I don’t understand this. B: If I were you, I’d ask your teacher for help.
A: This order won’t be delivered on time.
B: If I were you, I’d phone the customer to let them know.
Practice: Engage students in a pair or group activity where they discuss hypothetical
situations using the Second Conditional.
2
6. Third Conditional
Explanation: Explain that Third Conditional is used for situations that didn't happen in the
past and their imaginary results.
Structure: If + past perfect, would have + past participle
Example: If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
If we had left earlier, we would have arrived on time.
If you hadn’t forgotten her birthday, she wouldn’t have been upset.
If they had booked earlier, they could have found better seats.
If I hadn’t learnt English, I wouldn’t have got this job.
What would you have studied if you hadn’t done engineering?
They wouldn’t have hired you if you hadn’t had some experience abroad.
You could have helped me if you’d stayed later.
Practice: Provide a set of scenarios where students rewrite sentences using the Third
Conditional based on the given prompts.
7. Application
Review: Quickly recap the four types of conditionals and their structures.
Application: Have students complete a worksheet with mixed exercises covering all four
types of conditionals. Students are to work individually and then compare answers in pairs.
8. Homework Assignment
Assign homework tasks related to practicing conditionals
