Your goal
Describe a mistake and plan a response using the first conditional.
Read the story
Leila helped prepare orders at a small stationery business. One Monday, she packed two similar boxes: one contained plain notebooks for a language club, and the other contained coloured folders for a music group. She checked the contents carefully but attached the address labels after answering a telephone call. The next morning, the language club reported receiving folders. Leila looked at the remaining order details and realised that she had exchanged the labels. Both boxes had gone to the wrong places.
Her first thought was that she should have been more careful. That was true, but it did not tell her what to do next. She told her colleague Ben exactly what had happened and checked whether either group had already opened or used the materials. Both groups still had the complete orders. Leila arranged a collection and gave each contact a clear replacement time. She recorded the extra delivery cost so that the business could understand the practical effect of the mistake.
Once the immediate problem was under control, Ben asked her to describe the packing process step by step. The contents were checked at one table, while labels were printed at another. Leila had carried two unlabelled boxes between them. The telephone call had interrupted the final step, but the arrangement already allowed two similar boxes to become confused. They decided that learning from the error meant examining the process as well as accepting responsibility. Simply feeling embarrassed would not change the next order.
They tried a revised routine with empty boxes. Each order would stay in its own marked space until its label was attached. If a call interrupted the work, the person packing would put a small pause card on the unfinished box. Before collection, another worker would compare the address, the order sheet, and one visible item. If any detail did not match, they would stop and check it. The extra check took time, so they removed an unnecessary copying step from the old routine.
Over the next fortnight, Leila used the pause card twice. Each time, it showed her exactly where to restart. No boxes were exchanged during that period, although the team knew that two weeks could not prove the routine would always work. They kept a short record and agreed to review it after a month. Leila still disliked remembering the wrong labels, but the memory now led to a useful action. When she explained the routine to a new colleague, she included the mistake and the reason behind each check.
A conversation to practise
Leila: I attached the wrong labels to two boxes.
Ben: Have both groups kept the contents?
Leila: Yes. If we collect them today, we will replace them tomorrow.
Ben: Then let us explain the timing clearly.
Understand the story
- At which stage did Leila exchange the orders?
- What risk existed before the telephone call?
- Why did the team keep a record?
Practise the language
- Complete with the present simple of ring: If the phone ___, I will use a pause card.
- Complete with will and the verb check: If the label differs, we ___ the order.
- Correct this sentence: If the address will match, we will send the box.
Vocabulary & explanations
English
Your goal
Describe a mistake and plan a response using the first conditional.
Useful vocabulary
- attach
- fasten one thing to anotherAttach the label to the front of the box.
- contents
- the things inside somethingCheck the contents before closing the bag.
- replacement
- something supplied instead of another thingThe replacement folder arrived on Thursday.
- effect
- a result caused by somethingThe delay had an effect on our schedule.
- error
- a mistakeOne error changed the delivery address.
- revised
- changed after checkingWe tested the revised instructions.
- match
- agree or be the same in the needed wayThe number must match the order sheet.
- pause
- a short stop in an activityMark your place before a pause.
The first conditional
Use if + present simple, then will + base verb for a possible future condition and its result: If a detail differs, we will check it. Do not put will in this if clause. The result can come first: We will check it if a detail differs.
- If the phone rings, I will mark the unfinished box.
- We will stop if the address does not match.
- If you check the sheet, you will find the order number.
Make it yours
Describe a fictional everyday mistake in 110 words. Explain the immediate response, a process change, and two future checks using the first conditional.
Check and remember
Recall the pause card rule. Describe one packing step in the passive and report progress with since.
Français
Votre objectif
Décrire une erreur et prévoir une réponse avec le premier conditionnel.
Vocabulaire utile
- attach
- fixerAttach the label to the front of the box.
- contents
- contenuCheck the contents before closing the bag.
- replacement
- remplacementThe replacement folder arrived on Thursday.
- effect
- effetThe delay had an effect on our schedule.
- error
- erreurOne error changed the delivery address.
- revised
- réviséWe tested the revised instructions.
- match
- correspondreThe number must match the order sheet.
- pause
- pauseMark your place before a pause.
Le premier conditionnel
Utilisez if + présent simple, puis will + base verbale pour une condition future possible et sa conséquence : If a detail differs, we will check it. Ne mettez pas will dans cette proposition avec if. La conséquence peut venir avant : We will check it if a detail differs.
- If the phone rings, I will mark the unfinished box.
- We will stop if the address does not match.
- If you check the sheet, you will find the order number.
À vous de jouer
Décrivez une erreur quotidienne fictive en 110 mots. Expliquez la réaction immédiate, une modification du processus et deux vérifications futures avec le premier conditionnel.
Vérifier et retenir
Rappelez la règle de la carte de pause. Décrivez une étape d’emballage au passif et présentez un progrès avec since.
Español
Tu objetivo
Describir un error y planear una respuesta con el primer condicional.
Vocabulario útil
- attach
- adjuntar o pegarAttach the label to the front of the box.
- contents
- contenidoCheck the contents before closing the bag.
- replacement
- reemplazoThe replacement folder arrived on Thursday.
- effect
- efectoThe delay had an effect on our schedule.
- error
- errorOne error changed the delivery address.
- revised
- revisadoWe tested the revised instructions.
- match
- coincidirThe number must match the order sheet.
- pause
- pausaMark your place before a pause.
El primer condicional
Usa if + presente simple y will + verbo base para una condición futura posible y su resultado: If a detail differs, we will check it. No pongas will en esta cláusula con if. El resultado puede ir primero: We will check it if a detail differs.
- If the phone rings, I will mark the unfinished box.
- We will stop if the address does not match.
- If you check the sheet, you will find the order number.
Hazlo tuyo
Describe un error cotidiano ficticio en 110 palabras. Explica la respuesta inmediata, un cambio del proceso y dos comprobaciones futuras con el primer condicional.
Comprobar y recordar
Recuerda la regla de la tarjeta de pausa. Describe un paso del embalaje en pasiva e indica progreso con since.
العربية
هدفك
صف خطأ وخطط للاستجابة باستخدام الشرط الأول.
مفردات مفيدة
- attach
- يثبت شيئا بآخرAttach the label to the front of the box.
- contents
- الأشياء الموجودة داخل شيءCheck the contents before closing the bag.
- replacement
- بديل يقدم مكان شيء آخرThe replacement folder arrived on Thursday.
- effect
- نتيجة يسببها شيءThe delay had an effect on our schedule.
- error
- خطأOne error changed the delivery address.
- revised
- معدل بعد المراجعةWe tested the revised instructions.
- match
- يتطابق أو يتوافقThe number must match the order sheet.
- pause
- توقف قصير عن نشاطMark your place before a pause.
الشرط الأول
نستخدم if مع المضارع البسيط ثم will مع الفعل الأساسي لشرط مستقبلي ممكن ونتيجته: If a detail differs, we will check it. لا نضع will في جملة الشرط هذه. يمكن تقديم النتيجة: We will check it if a detail differs.
- If the phone rings, I will mark the unfinished box.
- We will stop if the address does not match.
- If you check the sheet, you will find the order number.
دورك الآن
صف خطأ يوميا متخيلا في 110 كلمات. وضح الاستجابة الفورية وتغييرا في العملية وفحصين مستقبليين باستخدام الشرط الأول.
راجع وتذكّر
تذكر قاعدة بطاقة التوقف. صف خطوة تعبئة بالمبني للمجهول واذكر تقدما باستخدام since.
Check your answers
Story answers
- She exchanged them when attaching the address labels.
- Two similar unlabelled boxes were carried between separate tables.
- They wanted to review whether the revised routine was working.
Language answers
- rings — Use the present simple in the if clause; phone takes rings.
- will check — The possible future result uses will + base verb.
- If the address matches, we will send the box. — Replace will match with matches in the if clause.
Français
- Utilisez le présent simple après if ; phone demande rings.
- La conséquence future possible utilise will + base verbale.
- Remplacez will match par matches dans la proposition avec if.
Español
- Usa presente simple en la cláusula con if; phone requiere rings.
- El resultado futuro posible usa will + verbo base.
- Sustituye will match por matches en la cláusula con if.
العربية
- نستخدم المضارع البسيط بعد if وتأخذ phone صيغة rings.
- تستخدم النتيجة المستقبلية الممكنة will مع الفعل الأساسي.
- استبدل will match بصيغة matches في جملة الشرط.