S3 English: Conditionals (Zero, First And Second) (Paper 1 (basics))

S3 English: Conditionals (Zero, First and Second) (Paper 1 (basics))

2026-11-14

Tutor Prep Guide · the zero, first and second conditionals, unless, if I were you, tense pairing in the if-clause and common mistakes

S3 English: Conditionals (Zero, First and Second) (Paper 1 (basics))

This paper starts from the zero conditional and practises present plus present, swapping when and if, negative if-clauses, clause order, and the will trap in the if-clause.

Direct answers　Both clauses of a zero conditional use the present simple; if can become when for a general truth; a negative if-clause takes do or does plus not; clause order can be reversed without changing the meaning; the if-clause never takes will.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	20
Difficulty mix	Foundation 3 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 3 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: S3 English: Conditionals (Zero, First and Second)
Level	S3

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationIf you heat ice, it ___ (melt). Write the correct verb form.
FoundationIf it ___ (rain), the ground gets wet. Write the correct form.
FoundationWhat two kinds of situation does the zero conditional describe?
IntermediateIf you do not water the plants, they ___ (die). Write the correct form.
IntermediateWhen I heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils. How is this the same as a zero conditional?
IntermediateJoin the two sentences into one zero conditional: Plants need light. They grow well.
ChallengeIf she ___ (study) hard, she ___ (pass) the test. Fill in both gaps.
ChallengeFind and correct the mistake: If it rains, the grass get wet.
ChallengeIf you mix red and yellow, you get orange. Does reversing the two clauses change the meaning?
Error redoError clinic: If I will see him, I will tell him. What is wrong?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	melts	The zero conditional keeps the present simple in both clauses, and “it” takes the -s form.
2	rains	The if-clause stays in the present simple and “it” adds -s.
3	General truths and habitual results	Both clauses stay in the present simple, and “if” can usually be replaced by “when”.
4	die	A negative if-clause still takes the present simple, and the plural subject keeps the base verb.
5	It also states a general truth, and “when” works like “if” here	Both use present plus present, and the only difference is that “when” stresses time while “if” stresses condition.
6	If plants get light, they grow well.	The if-clause carries the condition and the main clause the result, both in the present simple.
7	studies / passes	Both clauses take the present simple and both subjects are third person singular.
8	Change “get” to “gets”	“The grass” is an uncountable subject, so it takes the third person singular verb.
9	No, it becomes You get orange if you mix red and yellow	The if-clause can come first or last, and no comma is needed when it comes last.
10	The if-clause cannot take will, so write If I see him, I will tell him	The future meaning comes from the present simple in the if-clause, and only the main clause takes will.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

Ask one question first: is the sentence a general truth, a real future possibility, or an unreal imagination. General truth takes present plus present, a real possibility takes present plus will, and imagination takes past plus would. The if-clause never takes will or would.Tutor Registration →

Questions and answers are written originally by the TutorZone team and are not taken from any school, publisher or examination authority paper. Every value is checked by computer.