this is the PP used in a CELTA session on presenting conditionals using the inductive approach. The slides show some student errors and possible reasons for these errors

1. Aims
• To analyse three structures relating to
hypothetical meaning
• To experience and review the structure of a
language presentation
• Identify possible learner difficulties

2. Learner Problems: in each case what
is the learner getting wrong?
• ‘If he wears a hat, he goes to town’
• ‘You heat ice, it melts.’
• If I could choose a city to live in, I’ll choose
Paris.
• If I will be rich I would buy a plane
• If I would seen him I had told him
• If I hadn’t been killed, I wouldn’t be here.

3. First conditional
express a possible condition and a probable result.
It’s a real possibility
• ‘If he wears a hat,
he goes to town’
• ‘You heat ice, it
melts.’
• Using present simple
when should use
present continuous
• Omitting the ‘if’ or
‘when’ for universal
truth.

4. Second conditional
express speculation and a probable result. Probable,
unlikely or even impossible in reality
• If I could choose a
city to live in, I’ll
choose Paris.
• If I will be rich I
would buy a plane
• Mixing past forms
(conditional for unreal) with
future form (will for real
condition), ie mixing 1st and
2nd conditional
• Struggling with using
a past tense for a
future meaning

5. Third conditional
express imaginary situations about the past.
Impossible as unchangeable
• If I would seen him • Confusing ‘I’d’ for I
I had told him
would and I had.
• If I hadn’t been
• Confusing positive
killed, I wouldn’t be and negative
here.
sentences. They want
to say ‘I was not
killed’

6. Third conditional
express imaginary situations about the past.
Impossible as unchangeable
• If I would seen him • Confusing ‘I’d’ for I
I had told him
would and I had.
• If I hadn’t been
• Confusing positive
killed, I wouldn’t be and negative
here.
sentences. They want
to say ‘I was not
killed’