Mixed conditionals

What's in the lesson

1. 1Warm-up
2. 2Reading: the day I almost said noReading comprehension
3. 3Which time?Grammar exercise
4. 4Four conditionals for unreal situationsGrammar rule
5. 5What kind of conditional?Grammar exercise
6. 6Say it with a mixed conditionalGrammar exercise
7. 7Which conditional?Grammar exercise
8. 8Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
9. 9Say it naturallySpeaking practice
10. 10The big what-ifsSpeaking practice
11. 11About youGrammar exercise
12. 12Wrap-up

Homework

1. 1Homework: facts to conditionalsGrammar exercise
2. 2Homework: choose the right formGrammar exercise
3. 3Homework: the other meDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

1. What is one decision from your past that still affects your life today?
2. Which of your personality traits has helped you most in your life?
3. Who has given you a push to do something important?

Grammar rule

Four conditionals for unreal situations

Type	Condition	Result	Example
second	now: if + past simple	now: would + verb	If I lived near the beach, I would surf every day.
third	past: if + had + past participle	past: would have + past participle	If we had left earlier, we would have caught the ferry.
mixed: past → now	past: if + had + past participle	now: would + verb	If I hadn't broken my leg in March, I would be running this marathon.
mixed: now → past	now or always: if + past simple	past: would have + past participle	If Tom were more organized, he wouldn't have missed the deadline.

Use might or could instead of would when the result is only possible: If I had taken that job, I might be rich now.

Time words help: now, today, still, by now show a present result; yesterday, last year, years ago show a past one. The if part can come second: I would be in Paris now if my flight hadn't been canceled.