Primary English | Conditionals for Tutors | Zero and first, no will in the if clause, four steps

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary English

Pupils write If it will rain, I will stay home because their first language puts a future marker in both halves. This lesson locks the pattern with two rules and one comma rule.

Objectives — Pupils can: (1) tell the zero conditional from the first conditional (2 types in total); (2) write an if clause in the present tense with will only in the result clause, and explain why; (3) place the comma correctly and use unless to mean if not.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Present simple	Water ___ (boil) at 100 degrees	boils, with an s
Will	What form follows will?	The base verb
Linkers	How does if differ from because?	if gives a condition, because gives a reason

02 Lesson flow (60 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-6 min	Two sentences	If you heat ice, it melts beside If it rains, we will stay home	Say how they differ
6-18 min	Zero conditional	Truths take the present tense in both halves (water boils at 100 C)	Pairs write three
18-34 min	First conditional	If clause in the present, result with will; chant no will in the if clause	Write four sentences
34-46 min	Comma and position	Comma after a leading if clause, none when it follows	Rewrite four
46-56 min	Unless and correction	4 faulty sentences, then rewrite one with unless	Work alone
56-60 min	Exit check	Three questions collected and marked	Work alone

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Sort by true or possible, not by type number

The zero conditional states a truth: If you heat ice, it melts. The first conditional states a future possibility: If it rains tomorrow, we will stay home.
Ask one question: does this happen every single time? Yes means zero, not always means first. Sorting by truth is far easier than remembering type numbers.

Pupils do: put four sentences into certainly and possibly, with a reason.

Scene 2: No will inside the if clause, and pupils must say it back

Many languages mark the future in both halves, so pupils translate literally and write If it will rain. English keeps the if clause in the present: If it rains, we will stay home. In the sentences required this lesson the if clause contains will 0 times.
The line to repeat: will only in the result clause.

Pupils say: what is wrong with If she will come, I will tell him.

Scene 3: Close with the comma rule and unless

If clause first: If it rains, we will stay home, with a comma. If clause second: We will stay home if it rains, without one.
unless means if not: Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus. Read the sentence with if not substituted once and the meaning lands immediately.

Pupils do: rewrite one sentence with unless and read it aloud.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Gap fill	If you ___ (heat) ice, it ___ (melt)	Both halves in the present	heat and melts
Tense choice	If it ___ tomorrow, we will cancel	Present tense in the if clause	rains
Combining	Join two sentences into a first conditional	If clause first, result with will	Comma and tense both count
Unless rewrite	If you do not hurry, you will be late	unless replaces if not	Unless you hurry, you will be late

Sanity check (teach this): Checks: 2 types are taught; will appears in an if clause 0 times; water boils at 100 C; the zero conditional keeps both halves in the present while the first conditional uses will in the result; a leading if clause takes a comma and a trailing one does not.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Truth gaps	Four natural phenomena	Both halves in the present
First conditional writing	4 situations: rain, lateness, revision, early rising	No will in the if clause
Comma repair	Four sentences missing or carrying a stray comma	Position decides the comma

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Will in the if clause	If it will rain, I will stay home.	The if clause states the condition in the present; will belongs to the result.
Will in a truth	If you heat ice, it will melt.	Something true every time keeps the present in both halves.
Comma in the wrong place	If it rains we will stay home,	The comma follows the if clause when it comes first, and disappears when it comes second.
Double negative with unless	Unless you do not hurry, you will be late.	unless already means if not, so adding not flips the meaning back.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary 5 English paper: grammar — Section B: pick three conditional items
Primary English chapter index — Compare with the other chapters
Redo this chapter — Write three unless sentences and read them aloud

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Can will sit in the if clause?	No, the if clause takes the present	Answering yes means replay scene two
Tense in a truth sentence	Present in both halves	Answering will means replay scene two
What does unless mean?	If not	A blank means replay scene three

09 Tutor FAQ

Does Primary 5 need the second conditional?

No. Primary school covers truths and future possibilities only; hypothetical past forms belong to secondary.

Why do pupils keep adding will?

Because their first language marks the future in both halves. The chant plus one spoken repetition fixes it faster than a rule.

Do commas really matter?

School and public exam writing lose marks for punctuation, and a comma also forces pupils to hear where the condition ends.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.