Teach English in Xiying Zhen - Wuwei Shi

UNIT 16 This unit breaks down the structure of the conditionals, describing present, past and future possibilities. The rule is that sentences containing if and when refer to present, past and future possibilities. There are two clauses, the if clause and the main clause and the if clause may take first or second place in a sentence. (If I had the money, I would buy a new car). The main clause is the consequence of the conditional if clause. The unit summarizes the five main conditionals succinctly first setting out the form and then usage. Zero conditional ? Form: if, when+ present tense, present tense Usage: Refers to irrefutable actions and facts. You can use if with no change in meaning: When you boil water, you get steam, water being the condition and steam the consequence. Water turns to ice if you freeze it. Freeze is condition and ice is consequence. First conditional Form: if + present simple, will (?will? can be replaced by modal verb, might, can, should, must) Usage; refers to a real situation in the future that is possible or probable or even certain once condition is satisfied If he studies he will pass the exam She might buy if she has enough money (Condition: having enough money; buying: possible consequence) Second conditional Form: if + past simple, would, could, might, + have + past participle When verb to be is used in the ?if? clause it can be if I was here or if I were. Latter more formal Usage: Communicates a present or future unreal hypothetical situation that is presently not true and unlikely to ever be true If I won a lottery, I would travel the world. If I had a time machine I would go back the dark ages Third Conditional Form: If, + past perfect, would could might + have + past participle Usage: Refers to hypothetical past action (or non-action) and hypothetical past result. As action was hypothetical and never realized there can be no consequence If I had practiced the piano, I would have been better Mixed conditional Form: when a second conditional cause is combined with a third conditional clause Form: if + past perfect, would + base form If I had listened to him, I would be in serious trouble now (I didn?t listen to him, so I am not in trouble) Refers to a hypothetical past action or state and the hypothetical present consequences. Immense potential for errors. Students may find it difficult to understand a sentence with the past tenses being used in the second conditional when it refers to the future as it always does. Confusion between difference in usage between first and second conditionals and third and mixed conditionals. The unit deals with direct and indirect speech and the impact of indirect speech on pronouns and verb tenses. When Direct questions are turned into reported speech: The questions word (when, where, why, who, how) remains but the form of the verb changes to the positive form and the question mark is omitted. The verb ?say?, changes to ?ask?, ?enquire? etc and the tense of the speech reported is the same as the tense of the reporting verb Phil?s question: How are you feeling after last night, Ken? Reported: Phil asked Ken how he was feeling If there is no question word if or then must be used ?Is there anyone there?? he asked. .: He asked if/whether anyone was there The unit provides a table to illustrate the changes in tenses as well as pronouns in reported speech General rule: present becomes past and this and here become that and there The unit also deals with time expressions: Today = that day Yesterday = the day before / the previous day Tomorrow = the next day / the day after Unit provides a diagram and emphasizes the golden rule which is slowly, slowly Teaching ideas are useful and the conditional provides scope for active and exciting teaching, at all levels.