Let’s talk about Conditionals – not so much about what they are but how to practice them at home while having fun.
If you’re not sure what conditionals are and how to use them, you should definitely watch Lauren’s videos on the zero and first Conditionals as well as on the second and third Conditionals .
A quick recap of the rules:
The Zero Conditional: if + present simple, … present simple => (real/likely)
The First Conditional: if + present simple, … will + infinitive => (real/ likely)
The Second Conditional: if + past simple*, … would + infinitive => (imaginary/ unlikely)
The Third Conditional: if + past perfect, … would + have + past participle => (impossible/ past)
* Don’t forget that the verb to be always conjugates to “were” (and not “was”) in the second conditional (“If I were you”, and not, “If I was you”). However, keep in mind that some English speakers break this rule and you may hear both versions in conversation.
1. Listen for conditionals in movies, TV shows or in songs! Let’s give it a try: which type of conditional sentences are used in the following 3 songs? (Find the answers at the end of the article.)
· Nickelback – If today was your last day.
· Simply Red – If you don’t know me by now.
· Adele – If it hadn’t been for love.
2. Or how about practising conditionals as a party game at your next 5 à 7? You could play around of “What If – questions” like:
· What if computers took over the world?
· What if you could live your life without ever needing to sleep? What would you do with the extra hours in each day?
· If you were invited to high tea with the Queen of England, what would you say to her?
3. Another great party game is “chain story”. All you need is paper and a pen. Then you need to decide which conditional you want to practise. The first person starts by writing a full conditional sentence. The next person uses the second clause of the first person’s sentence as their first clause and so on. For example:
· If I won the lottery, I would go on a five star cruise.
· If I went on a five star cruise, I would swim in the pool every day.
· If I swam in the pool every day, I would become really fit.
· If I were really fit, I wouldn’t get out of breath after climbing three stairs anymore.
4. Or maybe you’re on your own and feeling dreamy? How about browsing job listings or looking at pictures of faraway locations. You could imagine what it would be like if you got the job as head of sales at Simon’s. Or what the water would feel like if you snorkelled in the Indian Ocean.
5. Last but not least: Why don’t you have a conversation with a colleague in English and talk about difficult situations at work. Ask for advice, or give advice!
· If I were you, I would talk to our boss and explain the situation.
What would you do if you were me?
· I would have worked overtime if I had known about the deadline.
And if you need a cheat sheet for the rules, just download it as a PDF! You can easily print it and use it for your conditionals practice. Do you have any other ideas on how to practise conditionals in a fun way? We love to hear from you on social media, or email us at lesbonsmots@lesateliers.ca!
Answers for idea 1: Nickelback – Second Conditional, Simply Red – First Conditional , Adele – Third Conditional