Module 04 —If & When
First and second conditionals · Speaking Part 4 hypotheticals · Writing Part 2 article
PET parts in this lesson · mixed-skill spiral
Why this lesson now? Consolidates the conditionals introduced in Lesson 04.
CEFR Pathway · You are here
Get ready · 01
5 minGet talking
'If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay home' vs 'If I won the lottery, I'd travel the world.' Which is more likely to happen? Why?
Complete: 'If I had more free time, I would…'
'If I will have time, I help you.' What's wrong with this sentence?
Grammar for the Exam · 02
8–10 minFirst and second conditionals
First conditional (real/likely): If + present simple, will + infinitive. Second conditional (unreal/unlikely): If + past simple, would + infinitive.
Conditionals let you talk about the results of situations. The first conditional describes real, likely situations in the future: 'If it rains, I'll take an umbrella' — it's genuinely possible. The second conditional describes imagined or unlikely situations, often ones that are imaginary, impossible, or simply not true now: 'If I won the lottery, I'd travel the world' — the speaker probably won't actually win the lottery, but they're imagining the result anyway. A common mistake is using 'will' after 'if' in the first conditional ('if I will have time') — the 'if' part always uses the present simple even though the meaning is future. Both conditionals can also start with the result clause: 'I'll take an umbrella if it rains' — no comma needed when 'if' comes second.
→ First conditional: If I finish my homework early, I'll watch a film tonight.
→ Second conditional: If I had a bigger house, I would invite more friends to stay.
→ First conditional (result first): We'll miss the bus if we don't hurry.
→ Second conditional (result first): I would learn another language if I had more time.
Question 1.Which sentence is correct?
Question 2.Which conditional describes an unlikely/imaginary situation?
Question 3.Complete: 'If I ____ more money, I would buy a new car.'
Question 4.Complete: 'If she studies hard, she ____ pass the exam.'
Question 5.Which sentence needs no comma?
Quick check 1.True or false: the second conditional always uses 'would' in the 'if' part.
Exam Vocabulary · 03
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
imagined; not necessarily true or likely
Describe a imagined situation: what would you do if you could travel anywhere?
to form a picture or idea of something in your mind
Imagine you had an extra free day this week — what would you do?
to receive a large amount of money from a lottery game
What would you do if you won the lottery?
to imagine being in someone else's situation
If you were in your teacher's shoes, what would you change?
to choose between options
What's a difficult decision you've had to make recently?
a result of an action or situation
Give an example of a positive consequence of studying regularly.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Activation · Personalise · Recycle
Use these words in full conditional sentences — this connects vocabulary directly to today's grammar.
Ask your partner
- Imagine you could change one thing about your town — what would it be?
- If you were in your best friend's shoes, what would you do differently?
"If I don't sleep enough, the consequence is…"consequence
Is it realistic or unlikely that most people will work from home in ten years? Give a reason.
Give your answer + one reason.
Write 35 words describing what you would do if you had an extra week of holiday this year.
Pronunciation for Speaking · 04
3–4 minContracted 'would' ('d) in second conditional
In natural speech, 'would' is almost always contracted to 'd after a pronoun: I'd, you'd, she'd, we'd.
- • I'd travel the world if I won the lottery.
- • She'd be delighted if you came to the party.
- • We'd help you if we could.
- • If I had more time, I'd learn to paint.
Reading Skills · 05
8–10 minReading Part 3 — What would you do with an extra hour?
A recent survey asked several thousand adults a simple question: if you had one extra hour every day, what would you do with it? The answers reveal a lot about how people really feel about their busy lives.
The most common answer, given by nearly forty percent of respondents, was 'sleep'. Researchers weren't surprised by this — many previous studies show that a large number of adults regularly don't get enough rest. The second most popular answer was exercise, followed closely by spending time with family, which many people said they would prioritise if they weren't so constantly rushed.
Interestingly, very few people said they would use the extra hour for work, even among those who described themselves as ambitious about their careers. One researcher suggested this shows that most people already feel they give enough time to work, and if they had a genuine choice, they would spend it on themselves or their relationships instead.
The survey also asked a more realistic follow-up question: if you actually found an extra hour this week, what would you really do? Here, the answers were less noble — many admitted they would probably just spend it scrolling on their phone. Researchers say this gap between our ideal and actual behaviour is common, and that recognising it is the first step towards changing it.
Question 1.What was the most common answer to the imagined question about an extra hour?
Question 2.What did the second most popular answer relate to?
Question 3.Why were few people keen to use the extra hour for work?
Question 4.What did the more realistic follow-up question reveal?
Question 5.What do researchers say about the gap between ideal and actual behaviour?
Listening Skills · 06
8–10 minListening recycle — discussing the extra hour survey
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Noah:So if you had an extra hour every day, what would you actually do with it?
Ella:Honestly? I'd probably sleep. I never feel like I get enough.
Noah:Same. Although if I'm being realistic, I'd probably end up checking my phone instead.
Ella:Ha, that's exactly what the survey said people really do, even if they say they'd exercise or see family.
Noah:It's interesting that almost nobody said they'd spend it working.
Ella:Yeah, I guess if people had a genuine choice, they wouldn't choose more work.
Noah:What would you do if you had a whole extra day, not just an hour?
Ella:That's easier — I'd definitely go on a short trip somewhere with friends.
Noah:I'd probably just finally start that art project I keep putting off.
Ella:See, that's more realistic than sleeping all day, at least!
Question 1.What would Ella do with an extra hour, in her honest opinion?
Question 2.What does Noah admit he would probably really do?
Question 3.According to Ella, what did the survey find about what people say versus what they actually do?
Question 4.Why does Ella think few people chose work?
Question 5.What would Ella do with an extra day?
Question 6.What would Noah do with an extra day?
Exam Strategy · 07
5 minSpeaking Part 4 — imagined discussion with your partner
If + past simple, I'd + verb + because + example + 'What about you?'
Task
The examiner introduces a topic connected to the earlier Speaking task and you discuss it together, often using imagined language ('what would you do if…').
Example
A: If I had an extra hour every day, I'd probably use it to exercise, because I never have time in the mornings. What about you? B: I'd probably sleep — I'm always tired!
Writing Task · 08
5 minPut it in writing
Q1.Complete: 'If I ____ (win) the lottery, I would buy a house.'
Q2.Which conditional describes real, likely future situations — first or second?
Write an article (about 100 words) titled 'If I had an extra hour every day...' Use at least two conditional sentences and give your honest opinion.
Your writing draft
0 words SavedShow model answer & examiner comment
If I had an extra hour every day, I honestly think I'd spend most of it sleeping. Modern life is so busy that most of us don't get enough rest, and it affects our mood and concentration. If I felt less tired, I would probably also find time to exercise, which I always plan to do but rarely manage. Of course, if I'm being completely honest, I might just end up scrolling on my phone instead! Still, it's interesting to imagine what we'd choose if we really had the choice — it shows what actually matters to us, once work isn't taking up all our time.
Examiner comment
| 5 | All content points covered; consistent style; range of structures; minor errors only. |
| 3 | Content mostly covered; mostly suitable style; some range; errors don't stop the reader understanding. |
| 1 | Limited content; intrusive errors; very basic structures; under-length. |
Speaking Task · 09
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Speaking Part 4 rehearsal: in pairs, discuss what you would do with an extra hour or an extra day each week, using conditional sentences.
Examiner
"Now, talk together about whether people would really use an extra free hour well."
Talk together about
If people had one extra free hour every day, would they really use it well?
Share opinions, agree and disagree — you do not have to talk only about yourself.
Ideas you could discuss
- What people say they'd do vs what they really do
- Using it for rest, hobbies or people
- Whether an extra hour really changes a life
Round off the discussion
Together, agree on the most realistic way to use an extra hour, and the most honest way.
Useful discussion language
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Use these if the conditional practice finishes early. ~13 min total
Homework · 10
Take-homeTake it home
Self-study — everything you need is included below. All four skills are covered so you keep the spiral going between lessons; pick the order that suits you.
Write five conditional sentences about your own life — three first conditional, two second conditional.
Your response
0 words SavedMaterials included
Prompts
Attempt the task first, then check your answers.
Correct the five mistakes in these conditional sentences.
Your response
0 words SavedMaterials included
Sentences
Attempt the task first, then check your answers.
Record a one-minute Speaking Part 4 answer using at least two conditional sentences.
Your response
0 words SavedMaterials included
Topic
Attempt the task first, then check your answers.
Recap · 11
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- First conditional (real/likely): If + present simple, will + infinitive.
- Second conditional (unreal/unlikely): If + past simple, would + infinitive.
- Never use 'will' or 'would' in the 'if' part itself.
- In natural speech, 'would' contracts to 'd after pronouns: I'd, she'd, we'd.
- Use conditionals in Speaking Part 4 to discuss imagined situations naturally.