Universite d’antananarivo ecole normale superieure

1.3.2- Second conditional

This is a lesson about second conditional that teachers can use in “première” or “terminale” class.

1.3.2.1- Procedures of the lesson

• 
  Presentation
  

• 
  Teacher draws students’ attention by showing this picture to them and by asking them the questions: “Is the man rich?” “Has he got a castle?”
  

If I were rich, I’d

buy a castle.

1. 
   s the man rich?
   

2. 
   Has he got a castle?
   

• 
  The answer of the two questions should be “NO”. The man is not rich and he has not got a castle. The students’ answers will lead the students to think that the sentence “If I were rich, I’d buy a castle” expresses an unreal situation.
  
• 
  Next, teacher elicits the rule of second conditional from the students (form and use). Explain that “I’d” is the contracted form of “I would”.
  

if clause: PAST SIMPLE; main clause: PRESENT CONDITIONAL = would+ V (-to)
We use the second conditional to talk about unreal situations, dreams and wishes.

• 
  Teacher should not forget to explain the past simple of the verb “to be” in second conditional sentences (“were” instead of “was”)
  
• 
  Teacher asks students to give other examples of unreal situations and write them on the blackboard. While doing so, s/he insists on the meaning of the sentences that they are not real and unlikely to happen.
  

•