Third Conditionals If Clause & Mixed Conditionals: Unlucky in Love (English / ESL Video)

Synopsis of English / ESL Video

Follow the story of an unlucky couple who just can’t seem to catch a break! Teach third conditionals if clause & mixed conditionals to intermediate level students.

Title of English / ESL Video

Unlucky in Love

Target English Grammar

Third Conditionals:
– Mixed Conditionals
– Conditional clauses / conditional sentences
– If clause + result clause / clauses of result
– Also known as:
– condition clause + consequence clause
– subordinate clause + main clause / other clause
– dependent clause + independent clause.

Student Proficiency Level

Intermediate level grammar

Suggested Courses

General English

Instructions

– Play the video in class after delivering a warm-up activity first.
– Pause the video whenever the narrator asks students a question to give students time to answer. For example, after elicitations and concept checking questions (CCQs).

Summary of English Grammar: Third Conditionals If Clause & Mixed Conditionals

Approximate chronological order:

Rules and Explanations:

Elicitation of example sentence: If I had won the lottery, I would have gone on a shopping spree.

Function:

– To talk about a hypothetical situation in the past which didn’t happen and its consequence.

Specific Uses:

– To criticize: If you hadn’t been so careless, you wouldn’t have had that accident.
– Using If only… to criticize: (Elicitation from students) If only you hadn’t been so careless.
– To express regret: If I’d known it was winter in America right now, I would’ve packed warm clothes.
– Using If only… to express regret: If only I’d known it was winter in America right now!

Could and Might:

– Use could or might instead of would if you are less sure about the consequence.
– Example: If I’d finished high school, I might‘ve got into university.

Concept Checking Questions (CCQs):

Form:

Statements:

– If clause, + result/consequence clause (main clause/other clause)
– If + past perfect, + would + have + past participle
– If + I had won the lottery, + I would + have + gone on a shopping spree.

Contractions:

– If I’d won the lottery, I would’ve gone on a shopping spree.
– If I’d won the lottery, I’d have gone on a shopping spree.

Switch Clause Positions:

– Result clause + condition clause
– I would’ve gone on a shopping spree if I’d won the lottery.
*Notice that there is no comma when the clause positions are switched.

Yes/No Questions:

– Elicitation from students.
– Condition clause, + would + subject + have + past participle
– If you’d won the lottery, + would + you + have + gone on a shopping spree?
– Answers:
– Yes, I would’ve. (Yes, I would. – is also fine.)
– No, I wouldn’t have. (No, I wouldn’t. – is also fine.)
– Switch clause positions: Elicitation from students.
– Would + subject + have + past participle + condition clause
– Would + you + have + gone on a shopping spree + if you’d won the lottery?

Open Questions:

– Elicitation from students.
– Condition clause, + wh-/how + would + subject + have + past participle
– If you’d won the lottery, + what + would + you + have + done?
– Switch clause positions: Elicitation from students.
– Wh-/how + would + subject + have + past participle + condition clause
– What + would + you + have + done + if you’d won the lottery?

Past Perfect Continuous:
- We can also use the past perfect continuous in the condition clause.
– Example: If you‘d been watching where you were going, you would’ve seen my car.

Present Perfect Continuous:
– We can also use the present perfect continuous in the result clause.
– Example: If you’d told me that you weren’t coming, I wouldn’t have been standing in the raining waiting for you!

Mixed Conditionals: 2nd and 3rd

If a hypothetical situation in the past has a present or future consequence:

– 3rd conditional (past) + 2nd conditional (present/future)
– If you’d packed some warm clothes, we wouldn’t be freezing to death right now.

If a hypothetical situation which is always true and could have changed the past:

– 2nd conditional (always true) + 3rd conditional (past)
– If you weren’t so demanding, we could’ve just stayed at home.

Summary of Functions and Uses

*** English / ESL Video: No Music Version ***

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