UNREAL CONDITIONALS

Overview

This lesson is the first part to studying Unreal use of Past tenses in English. It focuses mainly on
conditionals 2 and 3. It is created for Turkish young adults in TOBB University. The rationale behind the
plan is to revise previously learned grammar and vocabulary and create a base setting for introducing
wish clauses and other unreality expressions. A reading piece, a song list, exercises and drills are
incorporated into the lesson for variety.

Background

Setting: TOBB University Foreign Languages School

Students: University level students (Age 20 to 30) -- flexible
Level: Intermediate +
Class size: 20 students or more
Time: 50 minutes

Detailed Lesson Plan

1. Ask students from the following questions as a warm-up activity (7-8 minutes)
If you were going on holiday would you go to Africa? What would you do there? Would you like
to go on a safari? Would you like to visit a poor village like Angelina Jolie? Would you adopt a
child?
If you were stranded on a lonely island, what would you take with you? Tell me three things.
Would you take technology? Would you want to be rescued? Would you want to stay? Would
you be afraid of animals? Could you survive more than a week in the jungle? Could x(another
student) survive more than a week?
Imagine there was a global zombie/nuclear crisis. Where would you hide? Which city would you
go to? How could you travel best? How could you best eat?
If you werent here right now what would you be doing instead? Would you be spending time
with your boyfriend/girlfriend? Would you like to be on the beach? Would you enjoy it if you
were at home?

2. Type 2 and Type 3 conditionals revision

Write the following sentences on the board and note marked vocabulary (15-17 minutes)

Type 2 (Unreal present)

If I had more money, I would go back to my hometown by plane.
If I had more time, I would go back to my hometown by train.
If it was any hotter, I would melt!
If you have cash with you, we could take a taxi.
If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we would all have a merry Christmas.

UNREAL PRESENT SITUATIONS > PAST TENSE + WOULD / COULD

Type 3
If I my wife hadnt left me just before I won the lottery, she would never have let me divorce her!
If I hadnt seen the car on the wrong lane, I could have been crushed.
If Isildur had destroyed the ring, no one would have died.
If the apple hadnt fallen on Newtons head, he wouldnt have come up with his theory.
If Catcher in the Rye hadnt been written, John Lennon wouldnt have been killed/assassinated.

UNREAL PAST SITUATIONS > PAST PERFECT TENSE WOULD/COULD HAVE+V3

Okay so far?

Hand out the reading piece and after having them read it ask their opinions. How could have this
accident been avoided? Write on the board (10-12 minutes)

If the mother and father had heard the garage door open, they could have stopped the kid.
Give further ideas if your students need inspiration.
Hide keys
Install Burglar Alarm
Have a fence & gate
Crying sister
Lying child
Etc

Do the substitution drill (5 minutes)

If I was in Paris, I would visit the Louvre.

If I were in London,
If I was in Bursa,
If I were in stanbul,
New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Nusret, Mcdonalds, Carribeans
If I were born in China, United States, Kazakhistan, Russia, Cuba

Eric Clapton- Tears in Heaven and have students read, translate, the lyrics. Put on the music
video or song. What do you think is the story behind? (10 minutes)

Write on the board

If I had only known it was the last walk in the rain,
I'd keep you out for hours in the storm.

3. Wish clauses (10 minutes)

 Write the following sentences on the board, note marked vocabulary and draw timelines.

I wish you were here.

You will wish you hadnt messed with me!
Pinocchio wished he had been a real boy.
I wish I hadnt eaten that last slice of pizza.
I wish you would stop shaking your legs under the table!
I wish we could sleep on the plane. It will be a long journey.

WISHING FOR A PRESENT CHANGE > PAST

WISHING FOR PAST CHANGE > PAST PERFECT (regret)
WISHING FOR FUTURE CHANGE > WOULD/COULD
* Would adds a feeling of complaint

4. Other expressions (5 minutes)

Write the following sentences on the board, note marked vocabulary.

If only Metallica came to Istanbul for another concert.

What If I hadnt seen the pedestrian!
Imagine we lived in medieval Europe. How would life be different?
I would have to travel to the USA supposing I got the job.
I would rather you just emailed me the papers tomorrow. (instead of coming to the office)
I would rather you took care of killing spiders yourself. (instead of screaming and asking for my help)