WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF
YOU WON THE LOTTERY?
Intermediate 4 ; Unit 11a
If I had a million dollars . . . I would …
If I lived in Italy . . . I would . . .
If I got a job as a chef . . . I would . . .
Are these real situations?
Do I really have a million dollars?
Do I really live in Italy?
Do I really work as a chef?
UNREAL CONDITIONALS
Unreal conditionals are sentences that describe
situations that are untrue, unlikely, or
impossible in the present or the past.
She doesn’t have
In present-time
enough money and she
situations, use won’t visit Paris.
the simple past
in the if clause
and would,
could, or might
plus the base If I had enough
form of the verb
money, I would
in the result
clause. visit Paris.
PRESENT UNREAL CONDITIONALS
Use the simple past in the if clause. If the verb
is be, use were for all persons. Use could,
might, or would + base form in the result
clause.
Where’s my wallet?
If I were a better planner I
wouldn’t travel without a map.
If he were more careful, he
would He
notice
didn’t that
travel his
with wallet
a
was missing.
map, so he got lost.
Look at the chart and
complete the conditionals
PRACTICE 1
with your own ideas.
Real Unreal
If + simple present If + simple past
AND AND
will + base form verb would/could/might + base form verb
Examples:
If I had enough money, I…would buy more clothes
If I quit my job, I…wouldn’t save money.
If I were a queen, I would live in a castle.
Look at the chart and
complete the conditionals
PRACTICE 1
with your own ideas.
Real Unreal
If + simple present If + simple past
AND AND
will + base form verb would/could/might + base form verb
1. If I were in Europe now, …
2. … , I would get scared.
3. If we took an airplane,…
4. If we made reservations, …
5. … , I would learn Russian.
SO…
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WON
THE LOTTERY!?
Maxine would buy a new house
for herself and her parents if
she won the lottery.
If Paul won the lottery, he’d
take a trip around the world.
WE USE UNREAL CONDITIONALS IN
ENGLISH TO TALK ABOUT:
A SITUATION THAT IS NOT REAL, BUT THAT WE
IMAGINE . . .
HOW DO WE MAKE THIS TYPE OF CONDITIONAL
GRAMMAR? LOOK AT THESE EXAMPLES:
2. Tomas would be happier if he got a less
stressful job.
3. Speaking in English would be easier if you
practiced more frequently.
After IF, use ______________ tense.
In the other clause, use __________________.
FORM & MEANING:
When you imagine a future happening like
this, you use a past tense form after IF;
However, the meaning is NOT past.
Ex. If I moved to a big city, I’d sell my
car.
The meaning here is NOT past tense . . .
I didn’t move away and I didn’t sell my car.
I’m imagining a future possibility.
UNREAL CONDITIONAL ABOUT THE PRESENT
If Subject + SIMPLE PAST, Subject + WOULD + VERB(bf)
If I had a million dollars, I would travel around the world.
If it started snowing, I would be cold
If a stranger talked to me, I would ignore him.
If she loved me, she would be here.
If we went to Mexico, we would have a lot fun.
If I were you, I would study for the final exam. (Advice)
NOTICE THAT YOU CAN START THESE
SENTENCES WITH THE IF-CLAUSE OR WITH
THE WOULD-CLAUSE:
If Lisa moved abroad, she would learn another
language.
Lisa would learn another language if she moved
abroad.
MORE PRACTICE . . .
If you ____________ (get) more exercise, I’m
sure you ________________ (feel) healthier and
happier.
Celia ______________ (do)
better in school if she
_____________ (sleep) more
each night.
IMPORTANT NOTE!
Formal grammar requires that when
making these kinds of conditional
sentences, we use WERE for the
past tense of be for
all subjects (including I, he, she).
Ex. -If I were you, I would buy that
house.
-She would buy a mansion if she
were wealthy.
You will probably hear many native speakers of
English use WAS in these cases, and this is often
accepted in spoken, less formal situations.
What would YOU do if . . .
you found a wallet on the street?
your house caught on fire?
your best friend moved far away?
there were an earthquake in Lima?
Share Your Responses with the class . . .
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