Today a short review on conditionals, something which my Intermediate class have found difficult recently:
“If I ever met Petra Kvitová, I’d definitely ask her about how she prepared for Wimbledon this year.”
“If I meet Petra Kvitová, I’ll try not to talk about the match.”
Which of the above sentences are you more likely to say and which is something that Maria Sharapova might say?
Do you notice that each sentence has a different structure? How so?
Maria Sharapova, who lost to Petra Kvitova, might joke to the media:
“I wasn’t really happy with my performance. I know I can do better. If I meet Petra Kvitová anytime soon, I’ll try not to talk about the match!”
In this sentence, because Maria is a professional tennis player and because she played against Kvitová, she sees this as a real situation. She sees this as part of her reality.
Compare this to the second sentence:
In a conversation you might be talking to a friend about this year’s women’s Wimbledon final:
“I’m a big tennis fan, and every year I rush home early just to watch Wimbledon on TV… Wow, Petra Kvitová played so well. If I met her, I’d definitely ask her about how she trained for Wimbledon this year.”
In this short dialogue you see this situation as not being a real possibilty.
Perhaps you’re having a drink in a cafe and you see this situation as being unreal:
You’re just imagining a situation which you don’t see as being part of your reality.
Please note that we use a past verb form in this ‘unreal conditional’ but we are not referring to the past.
We are in fact referring to NOW or the FUTURE. And we are using a verb in a past form because it is a way in English to communicate ‘distance from reality’.
Let’s say you have to work all next week while your colleagues are away on holiday. But imagine if you had the week off, where would you go?
Maybe you’d go to Italy. [= maybe you would go to Italy if you had the week off work]
Note here you can use a variety of modal verbs to express what you would do:
If I had next week off, I could visit friends in Moravia.
I should clean up my flat.
I definitely wouldn’t go to the mountains.
I’d have to visit relatives in Litvinov.
I’d go to the beach in a flash.
Now here’s a question for you to answer in the comments section below. Write one paragraph on the following topic:
What would you do if you had a million dollars?
If I had a million dollars, I’d buy a car for my mother.
or
I could buy a small ship with 2 rooms and stronger engine, If I had a million dollars .
If I had a million dollars, I finally could have a year off.
I’d go to South America If I had a million dollars.
Hi Tomik
Really, you’d go to South America? Or you’re just trying to impress me ; )
What would you do in South America? Learn zouk? Spanish?
David
ok. If I was to South America, I’d probably traveled a lot.
And of course If I was there, I could learn Spanish with natives e.g.
repair:
If I was in South America, I’d probably travel a lot.
Cool!
When we imagine like this what we’d do, the structure is like this:
IF + verb in past form -> modal verb + infinitive without ‘to’
eg If I went to South America, I’d learn zouk.
You can do it the other way around too:
eg I’d learn zouk if I went to South America.
And If I was there,I could study Spanish with natives.
But of course you’d rather study English ; )
So If I went to South America, I’d eat every day a new food.
Whit a million dollars I could realize these plans If I had a million dollars.
The way Obama’s going, you’d probably need 3 million dollars lol.
What food would you want to try over there?
I had a nice tortilla last night here in Prague…
That is what I don’t know. I had also Italian food. Pasta a la nuova. I cooked myself and it was delicious.
Thank you David for your help a see you on Tuesday .
Good night.
Tomas
Hey no prob Tomas.
Btw you know that cafe we went to near my office – they have very good Italian pasta, you should try it.
G’night