If/Then Conditional Sentences

Practice conditional sentence structures with if/then using scenario cards.

Use with a student — free
Card 1 of 12
If it rains, then we'll stay inside.
Say it out loud
This pass0 correct · 0 cued · 0 incorrect · 0/12
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Session summary (SOAP)

Stays on this screen. Nothing is saved or sent.

Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.

How to run it

Split the sentence and let the student supply the other half. Giving the if and asking for the then is prediction; giving the then and asking for the if is explanation, and the second is much harder. Then flip the order — we'll stay inside if it rains — which students meet in reading and rarely produce. Ten minutes covers the twelve with both directions.

Cueing ladder

Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.

  1. Step 1IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
  2. Step 2HintStress the part of the sentence that changes, or point to the word ending.Log as cued
  3. Step 3Sentence starterSay the first half of the sentence and let the student finish it.Log as cued
  4. Step 4ModelSay the correct form in the whole sentence; the student repeats it.Log as cued

Adjust it

Easier

Give a sentence starter every time, and do fewer cards.

Harder

Ask for a new sentence of the student's own with the same form, with no card to lean on.

Matching IEP goal

Given sentence cards, Student will produce if-then sentences in sentences in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than an indirect cue.

Send it home through the parent portal →

About this activity

Twelve conditional sentences: If it rains, then we'll stay inside. If you're hungry, then eat a snack. If the light is red, then stop. If you study, then you'll pass the test. If the milk is sour, then throw it out. If the plant gets no water, then it will die. Conditionals carry prediction and consequence, and they are the structure most of a student's reasoning gets expressed in.

What to listen for

Listen for tense agreement. If you study, then you'll pass mixes a present and a future, and students often produce if you will study or then you pass. Watch for causal reversal on the harder items — a student who says the plant will die if it gets water has the structure and lost the logic, which is worth separating from the grammar.

Carrying it home

Conditionals are how households run: if you finish that, then you can go out. Saying both halves rather than just the consequence gives a child the structure several times a day.

What's in this activity

  • If it rains, then we'll stay inside.
  • If you're hungry, then eat a snack.
  • If the light is red, then stop.
  • If you study, then you'll pass the test.
  • If it's sunny, then we'll go to the park.
  • If you're tired, then take a nap.
  • If the phone rings, then answer it.
  • If you're cold, then wear a coat.
  • If the milk is sour, then throw it out.
  • If we miss the bus, then we'll have to walk.
  • If you finish early, then you can read.
  • If the plant gets no water, then it will die.

Questions

What grades is this for?
Third through fifth, where conditional reasoning appears in both language and maths.
Is it free?
Yes, all twelve sentences play with no account.
Why do conditionals matter beyond grammar?
Because they express prediction and consequence. A student who cannot build one has difficulty explaining reasoning, which shows up in science and maths as much as in language.

Use this board with your caseload

With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.

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Free for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.