Our first song about conditionals. It’s about people who complain about the weather, whatever happens.
Learn from Songs · Unit 9a: Zero and first conditionals · A2–B1
Rain
A Beatles song about people who are never happy with the weather: the zero conditional for things that are always true (If it rains, people complain), the first conditional for real possibilities (If it rains tomorrow, we’ll stay in), if or when, and weather vocabulary, with Philo, Sophia, Marcos and Demetria.
SOPHIA
MARCOS
That’s everybody in England!
SOPHIA
Exactly. When it rains, they complain. When the sun shines, they complain too. The Beatles say: it’s just weather, it doesn’t matter.
DEMETRIA
In Alexandria we complain when it doesn’t rain.
Before you listen: the song
London, 1966
“Rain” was released in 1966 on the B-side of the Beatles’ single “Paperback Writer”. It was written mainly by John Lennon. Paul McCartney explained the idea: most songs treat rain as a bad thing, but this one says it’s not a bad thing at all.
The recording was very experimental for its time. The Beatles slowed down the music to make it sound heavy and dreamy, and at the end, Lennon’s voice is played backwards: one of the first times this was ever done on a pop record. Ringo Starr said it was some of the best drumming he ever recorded.
In the song, the singer says that people complain whether it rains or shines: if it rains, they hide; if the sun shines, they hide in the shade. But for him, rain and sun are just the same: it depends on how you look at the world.
Rain or shine, it’s all the same.
Listen: rain and sun
PHILO
Listen once. What do people do when it rains? When the sun shines? What does the singer think?
SOPHIA
Listen to the end: can you hear the voice played backwards? Then answer Section A.
🌧️ Listen to the song: “Rain” (John Lennon and Paul McCartney, The Beatles, 1966).Listen to the official recording →
📜 Read the words while you listen: “Rain”, The Beatles.Read the lyrics →
The zero conditional: always true
DEMETRIA
If it rains, people complain. If you heat ice, it melts.
SOPHIA
If + present simple, present simple for things that are always true: facts, habits, rules. If I drink coffee at night, I can’t sleep. You can often use when instead of if: When it rains, the streets get wet.
The first conditional: a real possibility
MARCOS
If it rains tomorrow, we’ll stay at home.
SOPHIA
If + present simple, will + verb for a real possibility in the future: If it’s sunny, we’ll go to the beach. Careful: no will after if: If it will rain is wrong!
If or when?
PHILO
When I get home, I’ll call you. If I see Marcos, I’ll tell him.
SOPHIA
when = I’m sure it will happen. if = it might happen. And weather words: rain, shine, drizzle, pour, storm, cloudy, sunny, windy, humid.
Sophia’s comparison: the Stoics
SOPHIA
The Stoic philosophers said: some things depend on us, and some things don’t. The weather doesn’t depend on us, so why be angry about it? Only how we react depends on us.
PHILO
And the Preacher says: whoever watches the wind will not sow, and whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
DEMETRIA
So: stop complaining about the rain, and plant your seeds.
Sophia’s summary
| Words and forms | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| If + present, present | zero conditional: always true | If it rains, people complain. |
| If + present, will + verb | first conditional: real future possibility | If it rains tomorrow, we’ll stay in. |
| when vs if | sure vs possible | When I arrive, I’ll call you. |
| no will after if | a common mistake | If it rains (not If it will rain) |
| rain, shine, pour, drizzle, cloudy | weather vocabulary | It’s pouring! |
Practice
Listen to the song for Section A, then do the rest. Press “Check my answers” at the end. You can try again as many times as you like.
A · Listen: the song
Listen to the song and choose the best answer.
1. What is the song about?
2. What does the singer think about rain?
3. What is unusual at the end of the song?
4. How was the song first released?
5. How does the music sound?
6. Who said it was some of his best drumming?
B · Grammar and vocabulary
Write the missing word or words.
7. If it , people complain. (rain, always true)
8. If you heat ice, it . (melt)
9. If it rains tomorrow, we stay at home.
10. If it sunny, we’ll go to the beach. (be)
11. I get home, I’ll call you. (sure)
12. It’s ! Take an umbrella. (raining heavily)
C · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct English?
13. “If it will rain, we’ll stay at home.”
14. “If you mix red and white, you get pink.”
15. “If I will see him, I tell him.”
16. “When I finish, I’ll call you.”
Talk and write
Discussion and writing
Weather plans. Make plans for the weekend: If it’s sunny, we’ll…, If it rains, we’ll…, If it’s windy…
Discuss. 1. Do people complain about the weather in your country? 2. Is it better to accept things you can’t change? 3. What do you always do if it rains?
Write (60–80 words). Rain or shine. Write three zero-conditional sentences about your habits and three first-conditional sentences about your plans for next week.