Revising the Second Conditional

TESOL ideas

Lesson plan 1: Revisting and Revising the Second Conditional Teaching notes
In this lesson, students revise the second conditional and will look at form, function and phonology, practice speaking using the second conditional and listen to a song which uses this structure. PART ONE First of all write this sentence on the board: If I had the power to change one thing in (your city), I ........... Ask students to write down three endings to the sentence. Give them a 5 minute time limit and then get them to compare answers in groups. Write up a selection of endings on the board. Make sure that they have all used the correct forms (these could include would/wouldnt + verb or a modal + verb). Highlight the differences, and ask students if they really have the power to change those things (they might think they do), and then point out that they are imagining a situation that isnt real, and for that reason they are using the second conditional Go through the form of this structure If + subject + past simple, subject + would/wouldnt/modal + verb Point out that it is the IF clause that contains the past simple.

Ask students to complete handout 1 (see below) with the questions in the correct forms. Point out that the if clause can come first or second in these sentences. Point out that number 5 is giving advice (so they will need to use a suitable modal verb). Check answers and highlight the contractions used in natural speech. Drill this. Free practice: Students discuss the dilemmas in pairs, deciding what they would do in each scenario. Remind them that it depends is not a valid answer and encourage extended discussion. Feedback and correct any language errors.

PART TWO Students are now going to watch a video of a song using the second conditional. Get them to read the lyrics and see if they can complete the missing words first (this is not a very difficult task)

Revising the Second Conditional

TESOL ideas

Listen to the song and check answers. Go through any vocabulary problems, highlighting the expressions in bold to check meaning. Ask them to think about what the song is about. Watch the video again and get them to answer the following questions What does the man in the video do with HIS power ? What happens to him in the end?

Revising the Second Conditional

TESOL ideas

Look at the following sentences can you put the verbs in brackets in the correct form? 1. If you ............... (can) visit the moon, what ................ ( you take) with you to leave as a gift from Earth? 2. If I ................ (have) more free time, I ......................... (take up) the piano. 3. I ......................... (work) harder if I ...................... (think) it would help me to pass the exam. 4. I ............................... (not visit) Madrid if ...................................... (you pay) me. 5. If he .................................... (not tell) the truth, you ............................... (dump) him [ADVICE]

Situations Discuss the situations in pairs. What would you do?

Your best friends partner wants you to be his/her new tennis partner. You suspect that they are interested in starting a romantic relationship. You love tennis, but dont want to give him /her the wrong idea. Your neighbours have just been on holiday and you had agreed to feed their goldfish. The day before they get back you go downstairs, but find the goldfish dead. You realise that you gave it too much food. Your neighbour has had the fish for over 8 years. Two of your good friends, Wills and Kate, are going out with each other. You see Wills at the cinema...with another girl. They are obviously romantically involved. After the film he sees you and begs you not to tell Kate. He says that it is a very complicated situation and he wants to sort it out himself. A very arrogant and rude colleague of yours has two tickets to a concert which you really wanted to go to. She asks ifyou want to go with her. You really want to see the concert but you cannot stand your colleague.

Revising the Second Conditional

TESOL ideas

You find a wallet in the street. There are several credit cards (gold) and a drivers licence. The person lives in the most expensive part of your town. There is 100 pounds cash hidden in the wallet. Your colleague is getting divorced. He keeps arriving late for work and goes out for long lunches. He often comes back smelling of alcohol and has a sleep in the meeting room. You have been doing his work and covering for him when the boss calls. The boss now wants to see you because you have not been keeping up to date with your own work. He wants to know why you are suddenly so busy.

Revising the Second Conditional Before you listen, can you try to guess what the missing verbs are?

TESOL ideas

The Yeah Yeah Yeah song The Flaming Lips If you ______ blow up the world With the flick of a switch _______you do it? (Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah) If you______ make everybody poor Just so you could be rich ______ you do it? (Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah) If you _____ watch everybody work While you just lay on your back _______ you do it? (Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah) If you _____ take all the love Without giving any back ______ you do it? (Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah) And so we cannot know ourselves Or what ____ really do With all your power With all your power With all your power What would you do? With all your power With all your power With all your power What would you do? (No no no no, no no no no)

Revising the Second Conditional

TESOL ideas

If you ____ make your own money And then give it to the poor _____ you do it? (No no no no, no no no no) If you ______ all the answers And could give to the masses _____ you do it? (No no no no, no no no no) Are you crazy? It's a very dangerous thing to do Exactly what you want Because you cannot know yourself, Or what _____ really do With all your power With all your power With all your power What would you Do do do do, do do do do [x2]

With all your power With all your power With all your power What would you do? With all your power With all your power With all your power What would you do? With all your power With all your power With all your power What would you do?