Week 4 · Unit 2 Communication with Family and Friends (A): a text on good communication (reference only), communicate / bond / resolve / siblings / supportive, listening to a talk about a misunderstanding (our own read-aloud text), the third conditional, a story-like text about a quiet family dinner (reference only), reconnect / gesture / frustrated / meaningful · 3 lessons
2
When things go wrong: listening and the third conditional
English Preparatory 3 Term 1, Unit 2: pp. 27–33
GoalListen for causes and results of a misunderstanding and use the third conditional for regrets and excuses.
New words
cause · the reason why something happensresult · what happens because of somethingface-to-face · in the same place, looking at each othercalm · quiet and not angry or worriedregret · a sad feeling about something you did or did not doexcuse · a reason you give to explain a mistake
Explanation
First the listening skill. A misunderstanding usually has a cause (a bad phone line, a wrong time) and a result (a missed train). Listen once for the story and again for the cause and the result. Now the grammar. We use the third conditional to talk about an unreal situation in the past: something that did not happen, and the result that did not happen either. Build the if-part with had and a past participle, and the other part with would have and a past participle: If I had asked, I would have caught the train. The negative uses hadn’t and wouldn’t have: If she hadn’t forgotten her key, she wouldn’t have waited outside. We use this structure for regret (If I had listened, …), a missed chance and an excuse (If the bus had come, I wouldn’t have been late). Never put would after if: not “If I would have asked”. Could have and might have can replace would have: If I had asked, I might have caught it. Compare the three conditionals in the table.
Type
If-part
Result
Example
First (real future)
If + present simple
will + base verb
If it rains, we will stay at home.
Second (unreal present)
If + past simple
would + base verb
If I were rich, I would travel.
Third (unreal past)
If + past perfect
would have + participle
If I had asked, I would have caught the train.
Worked examples
Reem
Last month my cousins and I planned a day at the beach. My uncle phoned me and said, “Be at the station at eight-fifteen.”
Reem
The line was bad, and I thought he said eight-fifty. I did not ask again.
Reem
I arrived at the station at eight-forty-five, but the train had already left. We lost the whole morning, and my cousins were frustrated with me.
Reem
Later we laughed about it, but I learned something important. If I had asked my uncle to repeat the time, I would have caught the train.
Reem
Now I always repeat the details back to the person on the phone.
Listen to Reem’s talk about a misunderstanding. A grown-up reads it aloud once or twice. Then answer the questions in the practice section.
Cause and result in the talk. Cause: Reem thought her uncle said eight-fifty. Result: she missed the train. Third conditional: If she had asked, she would have caught the train.
Irregular participles to know: bring – brought, leave – left, catch – caught, miss – missed, lose – lost, win – won, forget – forgotten, speak – spoken. Example: If we had left earlier, we wouldn’t have missed the start.
Now you. Say one sentence about something you did not do yesterday and the result that did not happen. Begin with If I had …
Class activity
Regret chain. With a partner, make a chain of third conditional sentences. A starts: “If I had woken up earlier, I would have caught the bus.” B continues with the result of A’s result: “If I had caught the bus, I would have arrived on time.” Make six links, then say which links are regrets and which are excuses.
Practice
1
Listen again (a grown-up reads the talk). Why did Reem miss the train?
She thought her uncle said eight-fifty, but he said eight-fifteen.
2
According to Reem, what would have happened if she had asked her uncle to repeat the time?
She would have caught the train.
3
Choose: If I ___ the message properly, I would have arrived on time. (read / had read / would read)
had read. The if-part of the third conditional uses the past perfect.
4
Choose: If she had left earlier, she ___ the bus. (would catch / would have caught / will catch)
would have caught. The result part uses would have + participle.
5
Correct the mistake: If I would have asked, I would have known.
If I had asked, I would have known. We never use would in the if-part.
6
Complete with the correct form: If they ___ (not forget) the tickets, they would have entered the stadium.
hadn’t forgotten.
7
Which sentence is about something that did not happen in the past? (a) If it rains, we will stay home. (b) If I were rich, I would travel. (c) If she had studied, she would have passed.
(c). It uses the third conditional: past perfect and would have + participle.
