First Conditional ESL Games, Worksheets and Activities

This festive first conditional activity combines the topic of Christmas and New Year superstitions with the first conditional. The worksheets contain Christmas and New Year superstitions written as first conditional sentences. Each one comes with three possible endings. The correct ending is already written on the worksheet. In two groups, students write two false endings for each first conditional sentence. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns reading each superstition and three endings to their partner, who guesses which ending is correct. The student with the most correct guesses in each pair wins.

In this entertaining first conditional game, students make conditional sentences in a chain format. To begin, you say an if clause. The first student then repeats the if clause and adds a result clause. The next student makes a new sentence by changing the first student’s result clause into an if clause and adding a new result clause, and so on. If a student cannot come up with a conditional sentence within a given time frame (e.g. ten seconds) or the student makes a mistake, they are out of the game. The last student left in the game wins.

In this free first conditional worksheet, students practice giving advice using the first conditional with will and other modal verbs. Students start by completing first conditional sentences about giving advice with words from a box. Next, students put words in the correct order to make first conditional sentences about giving advice, adding punctuation and capitalization where needed. Students then read an email to an advice columnist and underline the if clauses and put brackets around the clauses with a future meaning. Students then take on the role of the advice columnist and write a response to an email, giving advice using the first conditional. Finally, students read their reply to a partner, who says whether they agree with the advice given or not. Afterwards, there is a class feedback session to hear the students' advice and discuss who gave the best response.

In this engaging first conditional game, students make first conditional sentences by matching pairs of picture cards together. The first student 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 students then look at their result cards and try to find an appropriate match to complete the first conditional sentence. The student with a matching card then completes the sentence, e.g. '...you will feel tired the next day.' If everyone agrees the sentence is appropriate, the student who completed the sentence keeps both cards. The second student then turns over the next If card, and so on. The first student to get rid of all their result cards wins the game.

In this imaginative first conditional activity, students create first conditional sentences in a chain format. First, students write an 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 uses the second half of the sentence to write the beginning half of a new first conditional sentence. 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, and read them to the class.

This first conditional game is ideal for reviewing first conditional sentence structures. The first player tries to make a first conditional sentence by placing a domino down either before or after the domino on the table. If the player can make a sentence, they read it to the group to show the match is correct. The next player then tries to put down one of their dominoes at either end of the domino chain, and so on. The first player to get rid of all their dominoes wins the game.

This insightful first conditional worksheet helps to teach students how to talk about possible things that might happen in the future. First, students complete first conditional sentences with verbs in brackets. Students then match first conditional sentence halves together and write out the complete sentences. Next, students complete first conditional sentences with their own ideas. Afterwards, students answer first conditional questions and create one more question of their own. Finally, in pairs, students ask and answer the questions with their partner.

This useful first conditional worksheet helps to introduce students to first conditional verb forms and structure. Working alone, students complete first conditional sentences in a story with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. When the students have completed the story, check the answers with the class by eliciting each sentence in turn from a student. Students score one point for each correct sentence. The student with the most points wins.

In this fun first conditional game, students complete if and result clauses to make first conditional sentences. In pairs, students take turns choosing an If clause square and making a first conditional sentence by adding a suitable result clause. If a student does this successfully, they draw an 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. 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.

In this creative first conditional game, students race to complete first conditional sentences and sentences containing the future time clause when. Give each team an incomplete sentence strip. 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, you give the student the second strip, and so on. If a sentence is incorrect, the team has to rewrite it. The first team to complete all the strips wins the game.

In this interesting first conditional game, students complete first conditional sentences and then guess the endings of first conditional sentences a partner wrote. In two groups, students complete the endings of the first conditional sentences on their worksheet with their own ideas. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group. Students then play a game where they guess the endings of the first conditional sentences their partner wrote. Student B starts and has three chances to guess the ending of the first sentence. If Student B guesses the exact words the first time, they score three points. If the guess is wrong, they try again for two points, and so on. It's then Student A's turn to guess the second sentence, The student with the most points at the end of the game wins.

In this free first conditional board game, students practice making first conditional sentences from prompts. Students take turns rolling the dice and moving 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 want. If a student forms the sentence correctly, they stay on the square. If not, they go back two squares. The first student to reach the finish wins the game.