The second conditional

Objective & content

This grammar sheet teaches the second conditional: if + past simple and would or wouldn't + verb, to imagine things that are not true now (If I had a million pounds, I'd buy a house by the sea.), the short forms I'd and wouldn't, and questions with What would you do if...? Pupils read a conversation between Nathaniel and Ffion, who play "What would you do if...?" on the bus home, find the missing words and read the rule, given in a box. By the end, they can say what they would do in an imaginary situation and ask others the same question.

Pedagogical guide

Page 1 is the conversation, with a picture of Nathaniel and of Ffion: with a million pounds, Nathaniel would buy a big house by the sea and a dog, but not a car; Ffion wouldn't keep fifty pounds she found in the street, and if she could fly, she wouldn't take the bus to school. Pupils find five missing words in sentences from the conversation, then read the rule, given in a box in short lines with the key words in bold: if + the past to imagine things that are not true now, would the same for every person, I'd and wouldn't, no -s or -ed after would, and questions. Page 2 has eight sentences where pupils tick the right form (the other half of the sentence decides), six verbs in brackets to write in the right form, three wrong sentences about Nathaniel and Ffion to make negative, and four questions to make with What would you do if...? Page 3 is a personality quiz, "What kind of friend are you?": pupils complete the five quiz questions with the past simple, do the quiz themselves and read their result (a kind friend, an explorer or the joker), then use Nathaniel's answers to write what he would do and tick his result. Every exercise opens with a worked example, except the part where pupils do the quiz themselves. There is no be after if on the sheet, so pupils never have to choose between was and were.

Suggested procedure

1. (5 min) Ask the class "What would you do if you had a million pounds?" and write two answers on the board.
2. (10 min) Read the conversation aloud; pupils find the missing words.
3. (5 min) Read the rule in the box with the class; pupils find a sentence with if in the conversation and underline the two verbs.
4. (15 min) Page 2: the right form, the verbs in brackets, the negatives, then the questions.
5. (15 min) Page 3: the quiz; pupils compare their results with a partner, then work out Nathaniel's result.
6. (5 min) Check with the answer key on pages 4 and 5.

Adaptations

[S] Pupils read the conversation aloud in pairs, one as Nathaniel and one as Ffion, then play the game with new questions.

[A] Pupils write three sentences that start If I had a free day, I would...

Materials & prerequisites

One copy of pages 1 to 3 per pupil. Pages 4 and 5 are the answer key and teacher notes: keep them. Short and full forms are both right (I'd or I would, wouldn't or would not). Pupils need the past simple of regular and irregular verbs (had, found, won, came, saw, met) and could. To take it further, groups write a quiz of their own with three questions and a result box, and swap it with another group.