Speaking:
What Would You Do?
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs → Whole class
15 minutes
Aim
Students will practice using the second conditional to talk about hypothetical situations.
Materials
• A set of scenario cards with prompts, such as:
• If you won the lottery, what would you do?
• If you could live in any country, where would you live?
• If you met your favorite celebrity, what would you say?
Preparation
• Write example second conditional sentences on the board:
• If I had a million pounds, I would buy a big house.
• If she were taller, she could be a model.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students work in pairs, taking turns picking a scenario card.
2. Each student answers the question using a second conditional structure.
3. After discussing in pairs, students share their answers with the class.
Instructions
1. Pick a card and read the question.
2. Think about your answer.
3. Say your answer using “If + past simple, would + verb.”
4. Listen to your partner’s answer.
5. Share one answer with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Are we talking about real or imaginary situations?” (Imaginary).
• “What tense do we use after ‘if’?” (Past simple).
• “What verb form follows ‘would’?” (Base verb).
Examples
• If I had a superpower, I would fly.
• If he knew Spanish, he would travel to Spain.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Have students justify their answers in more detail.
• Easier: Provide sentence starters (e.g., If I had… I would…).
Error Correction
• Teacher corrects common errors in structure (e.g., If I will… instead of If I would…).
Writing:
Dear Diary
Grouping:
Time:
Individuals → Pairs
20 minutes
Aim
Students will write a diary entry about an imaginary situation using the second conditional.
Materials
• A worksheet with writing prompts:
• Imagine you are famous. What would your life be like?
• If you lived on a deserted island, what would you do?
Preparation
• Write a model example on the board:
• If I were a movie star, I would travel in a private jet.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students choose a writing prompt.
2. They write a short diary entry using second conditional sentences.
3. They exchange papers with a partner and underline second conditional structures.
Instructions
1. Read the writing prompt.
2. Imagine the situation.
3. Write 5-7 sentences using the second conditional.
4. Swap with a partner and check their sentences.
5. Share one interesting sentence with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Are these real or imaginary situations?” (Imaginary).
• “What tense do we use after ‘if’?” (Past simple).
Examples
• If I had a magic carpet, I would fly to school every day.
• If my best friend and I lived in another country, we would learn the language together.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students must write a full diary entry with at least 10 sentences.
• Easier: Provide sentence starters for support.
Error Correction
• Teacher provides feedback on grammar and sentence structure.
Listening:
Conditional Chain
Grouping:
Time:
Small groups (3-4)
15 minutes
Aim
Students will listen carefully and build on others’ conditional statements.
Materials
• No materials needed—this is a spoken chain activity.
Preparation
• Write a model example on the board:
• If I found a magic lamp, I would make a wish.
• If I made a wish, I would ask for a new car.
Activity Breakdown
1. One student begins with a conditional sentence.
2. The next student builds on it, continuing the chain.
3. The game continues until the chain breaks or becomes too long.
Instructions
1. Listen to the first sentence.
2. Think of a way to continue the sentence.
3. Say your sentence correctly.
4. Listen to the next person.
5. Continue until the chain ends.
Concept Checking Questions
• “Can we talk about real situations?” (No, only hypothetical ones).
• “What tense do we use after ‘if’?” (Past simple).
Examples
• If I had a time machine, I would visit the future.
• If I visited the future, I would bring back new technology.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Make students repeat all previous sentences before adding their own.
• Easier: Provide a list of starting sentences.
Error Correction
• Teacher notes common mistakes and gives whole-class feedback.
Reading:
Match the Halves
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs
15 minutes
Aim
Students will match sentence halves to form correct second conditional statements.
Materials
• A worksheet with sentence halves, such as:
• If I had a magic wand,…
• I would travel the world…
• …I would turn invisible.
• …if I had unlimited money.
Preparation
• Cut out the sentence halves for a matching activity.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students work in pairs to match the sentence halves.
2. They read their completed sentences aloud.
3. They check with another pair before discussing as a class.
Instructions
1. Read the sentence halves.
2. Match them to make a full sentence.
3. Say the sentence aloud.
4. Check with another pair.
5. Share answers with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• “What happens after ‘if’?” (Past simple verb).
• “What happens in the second part?” (Would + base verb).
Examples
• If I won the lottery, I would buy a mansion.
• If she had a pet tiger, she would name it Rocky.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Mix in incorrect answers for students to identify.
• Easier: Provide a few completed examples.
Error Correction
• Teacher highlights incorrect verb choices.