Zero Conditional Grammar Games
Teaching grammar and vocabulary. Conditional chain game. This game is good to revise and practise structures in the first conditional.
What will happen? ESL EFL Speaking Activity - Elementary - 25 Minutes In this engaging board game, students practice making first conditional sentences. The students are divided into groups of three or four. Each group is given a copy of the game board, a dice and counters. Students take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along the board. When a student lands on a square, they read the prompt and make a first conditional sentence beginning with 'If.'
Students can finish the sentence any way they like, but it must contain the words in the square, be appropriate and grammatically correct. If a student lands on a square marked 'IF', they can make any first conditional sentence they like. If a student forms the sentence correctly, they stay on the square. If not, the student must go back to their previous square.
The first student to reach the finish wins the game. Exclusive Christmas Conditionals ESL EFL Reading, Writing and Speaking Activity - Pre-intermediate - 30 Minutes This memorable worksheet activity combines the topic of Christmas and New Year superstitions with the first conditional.
The class is divided into two groups (A and B) and each student is given a corresponding worksheet. On the worksheets, each Christmas and New Year superstition is written as a first conditional sentence and comes with three possible endings (a, b and c). The correct ending is already written on the worksheet.
The students' task is to work together with the people in their group to write two false endings for each conditional sentence. When the students have finished writing, they pair up with someone from the other group. The students then take it in turns to quiz their partner by reading each superstition and all three endings. Their partner has to guess which ending is correct.
The student with the most correct guesses in each pair wins. Exclusive First Conditional Business Business English Reading, Writing and Speaking Activity - Pre-intermediate - 45 Minutes This productive two-part worksheet activity can be used to teach Business English students about the first conditional. Each student is given a copy of the two worksheets. Students begin by reading how to use and form the first conditional. Students then complete a gap fill exercise using the first conditional structure. When the students have finished, the answers are checked with the class. The students are then split into pairs.
In pairs, the students create a situational dialogue where they negotiate a production run and unit cost for a new product using the first conditional. The dialogues are then presented to the class and feedback is given. Exclusive First Conditional Card Game ESL EFL Matching and Speaking Activity - Pre-intermediate - 30 Minutes In this entertaining card game, students make first conditional sentences by matching pairs of picture cards together. Each group of three is given a set of 'If' cards and a set of 'Result' cards. The 'Result' cards are dealt out and the 'If' cards are placed in a pile on the desk. The first player turns over the top 'If' card and makes the beginning of a first conditional sentence using the picture on the card. For example, if the picture showed a person staying up late, the student might say, 'If you stay up late,' All the players in the group then look at their result cards and try to find an appropriate match to complete the first conditional sentence.
The player with a matching card then completes the sentence, e.g. 'you will feel tired the next day'. If everyone agrees the sentence is suitable, the player keeps both cards and puts them aside. The second player then turns over the next 'If' card and so on. The first player to get rid of all their result cards wins the game. When the students have finished the game, they write down the first conditional sentences their group made by looking at the pairs of cards they set aside.
These sentences are read to the class. The students listening to the sentences correct any mistakes they hear and give feedback. Free First Conditional Chain ESL EFL Reading and Writing Activity - Pre-intermediate - 25 Minutes In this enjoyable worksheet activity, students create first conditional sentences in a chain format. Students sit in a circle in groups of five or six. Each student is given a worksheet and an 'If Clause' card.
The students write their 'If' clause at the top of the worksheet. Each student then passes their paper to the person on their right who completes the second half of the first conditional sentence any way they like.
The student then folds the paper so the 'If' clause cannot be seen and passes the paper to the student on their right. The next student then uses the second half of the sentence to write the beginning half of a new first conditional sentence.
The student then folds the paper to hide the last sentence and passes it to the person on their right. This process continues until the worksheet is completed. When everyone has finished writing, students correct any mistakes on their worksheet and then read the sentences to their group. Students then choose the best set of sentences from their group. These are read aloud to the class. Exclusive Five-in-a-row ESL EFL Reading and Speaking Activity - Pre-intermediate - 30 Minutes In this fun teaching activity, students play a game of noughts and crosses by completing 'if' and 'result' clauses to make first conditional sentences.
The class is divided into pairs. Each pair is given a copy of the first game board which contains an 'If' clause in each square. Students take it in turns to choose a square and make a first conditional sentence by adding a suitable result clause. If a student does this successfully, they draw their O or X symbol in the square.
If not, play passes to the other student. The aim of the game is to be the first student to get five squares in a row either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The first student to do this is the winner. Pairs then repeat the process with the second game board, but this time the squares contain result clauses. The students' task this time is to make a first conditional sentence by adding an appropriate 'if' clause to complete the sentence.
For lower-level classes, students can play in small teams or in competing pairs. Exclusive If. ESL EFL Reading and Speaking Activity - Pre-intermediate - 25 Minutes In this entertaining speaking activity, students play a game where they ask first conditional questions and answer with phrases of probability. The teacher begins by writing probability phrases on the board, e.g. I doubt if, It’s unlikely, will definitely, will probably, etc. The class is then divided into groups of three and each group is given a set of 'If clause' cards. Students take it in turns to pick up a card.
The student with the card then asks the person on their right a first conditional question using the clause on the card. If the student picks up an 'If.' Card, they create their own first conditional question.
If the question is grammatically correct, the student scores a point. The other student then answers the question using a phrase of probability from the board. If the answer is grammatically correct, the student also gets a point. Then the next student picks up a card and so on. The student with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner. Free If and When ESL EFL Reading and Writing Activity - Pre-intermediate - 25 Minutes In this energetic team game, students race to complete first conditional sentences and sentences containing the future time clause 'when'.
The class is divided into teams of three or four. A time limit is set and each team is given an incomplete sentence strip.
Zero Conditional Grammar
Teams then race to complete the first sentence, making sure the sentence is logical and grammatically correct. As soon as a team has completed the sentence, one student from the team comes to you with the strip. If it’s correct, the team gets a point and you give the student the second strip and so on. If a sentence is incorrect, the team has to rewrite it. When the time limit has been reached, the students stop writing. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
Free What do you do if.? ESL EFL Reading and Speaking Activity - Pre-intermediate - 30 Minutes Here is an entertaining board game to help students practice the zero conditional. In the activity, students play a board game where they ask and answer 'What do you do if.?' Questions using the zero conditional. The students are split into groups of four. Each group is given a copy of the game board, a dice and counters. Players take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along the board.
When a player lands on a square, the student to their right asks them a 'What do you do if.?' Question from the prompt on the square. The player then tries to answer the question appropriately by making a zero conditional sentence. If the player forms the sentence correctly, they stay on the square.
If not, the player must go back to their previous square. The first player to reach the finish wins the game.
Free What did I write? ESL EFL Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking Activity - Pre-intermediate - 35 Minutes Here is a fun guessing game to help students practice the first conditional. The class is divided into two groups (A and B) and each student is given a corresponding worksheet. The students complete the endings of the first conditional sentences on their worksheet with their own ideas. Student As complete the odd-numbered sentences and Student Bs complete the even-numbered sentences.
When the students have completed their sentences, they pair up with someone from the other group. The students then play a game where they guess the endings of the first conditional sentences their partner wrote. Student B starts and tries to guess the ending of the first sentence. Student B has five chances to guess the exact words. If Student B guesses right the first time, he/she gets five points.
On the second try, he/she gets four points. On the third try, he/she receives three points, etc. Then, it's Student A's turn to guess the second sentence and so on. This process continues back and forth until all the sentences have been used.
The student with the highest score at the end of the game wins. Exclusive Zero Conditional Guessing Game ESL EFL Reading, Writing and Speaking Activity - Pre-intermediate - 35 Minutes In this insightful worksheet activity, students complete zero conditional sentences and then play a guessing game based on what they wrote. Each student is given a copy of the worksheet. The students write their normal reactions to the situations listed on the worksheet by completing zero conditional sentences.
In pairs, the students then take it in turns to read only the part they have written in each sentence. Their partner has three chances to guess which sentence the words came from. If their partner guesses right the first time, he/she gets three points.
On the second try, he/she gets two points. On the third try, he/she receives one point.
First Conditional Grammar
This process continues back and forth until all the sentences have been used. The student with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
Welcome to the zero conditional section of Busy Teacher. It is one of several subsections of the conditionals category which should make your search for an appropriate conditional worksheet even easier. Is one of the 48 available on this page. It actually has all the instructions and materials for an activity designed to help students practice using the first and zero conditionals.
Printable Games
The activity has students match halves of sentences to create logical conditional sentences. If you have more than twenty four students in your class, simply create more cards using your own sentences and if they find the primary exercise too easy, challenge students with the optional extension included in the directions. This may not work for all classes so if you think something else would suit your students better, look at other worksheets posted in this section to find what you are searching for. Already have zero conditional worksheets? Busy Teacher would love to see them so upload them today.