Teach English in YongchAng Zhen - Wuwei Shi

Conditionals include the \"if\" (or similar expressions such as \"when\") which refers to past, present and future possibilities. There are 2 clauses, the \"if\" clause and the main clause and either can come in the first part of a conditional sentence The \"if\" clause contains the condition that has to be satisfied before the action or state in the main clause can be realized. We can also think of the main clause as expressing the consequence. The Five Main Conditionals are as follows: 1) Zero conditional form: if/when + present tense, present tense usage: it refers to actions and facts that are irrefutable. You can use \"if\" or \"when\" with no change in meaning 2) First conditional form: if + present simple, will ('will' can be replaced by a modal verb, eg: may, might, can, should, must) usage: a real situation in the future that is possible, probable, or even certain, once the condition has been satisfied 3) Second conditional form: if + past simple, would/could/might + base form (when the verb 'to be' is used in the 'if' clause, it can be 'If I was..' or 'If I were...' The latter is more formal.) usage: communicates a present or future 'unreal', or hypothetical situation that is presently not true and is unlikely ever to be true. 4) Third conditional form: if + past perfect, would/could/might + have + past participle usage: refers to a hypothetical past action (or non-action) and the hypothetical past consequence/result. As the 'action' was purely hypothetical, the condition could never have been satisfied, and subsequently the consequence is or was impossible. 5) Mixed conditional form: if + past perfect, would + base form sometimes combine a second conditional clause with a third conditional clause usage: this mix refers to a hypothetical past action or state, and the hypothetical present consequence. Many other mixes, though not so common, are possible. Teaching ideas: 1) split sentences = take any kind of conditional sentences and cut them in half. Mix them up so that students have to put them back together again. 2) complete the conditionals = give students half a conditional and instruct them to complete it with their own ideas 3) chain conditionals = students take it in turns to continue a conditional sentence 4) what a question! = give students moral dilemmas in a conditional form to discuss 5) nuclear bunker role play = there is going to be a nuclear war but there only room in the bunker for 1 more person. Each student is assigned a role, eg: doctor, politician, actress, teacher, architect, scientist. They must persuade a judge that they are the best candidate for the last place in the bunker 6) what would happen if...? = in groups students respond to different second conditional sentences. - what would happen if everyone were color-blind? - what would happen if we could read each others' thoughts? - what would happen if everyone were five meters tall? they must then predict how the other group answered. Reported speech and direct speech Direct speech to reported speech 1) present simple to past simple 2) present continuous to past continuous 3) present perfect to past perfect 4) present perfect continuous to past perfect continuous 5) past simple to past perfect 6) past continuous to past perfect continuous 7) will to would 8) past perfect to past perfect 9) past perfect continuous to past perfect continuous backshifting = present becomes past, and 'this' and 'here' becomes 'that' and 'there' Teaching ideas 1) intermediaries = in groups of three one person says a sentence when is then reported to a third (role-play) 2) reporting verbs = higher levels could be first asked to make a list of as many verbs as possible that can replace the reporting verb 3) media interviews = report third parties speech and students can devise their own based on current events