Past Conditional
Using the past conditional (third conditional) in conversation questions is a great grammar point for English learners to practice their conversation skills because it allows them to discuss hypothetical scenarios and events that did not occur in the past.
Practicing this grammar point can help learners improve their ability to express themselves in complex sentences, use appropriate verb tenses, and convey their thoughts and ideas more precisely. It can also help them expand their vocabulary and improve their comprehension of conversational English, as they engage in discussions that require them to think creatively and critically.
By mastering this grammar point, learners can demonstrate their ability to think on their feet, express themselves clearly and engage in productive conversations with others.
Instructions:
Go through the theory of the grammar point to make sure your students fully understand when and how it is used, and then go through the various conversation questions. Try and engage the students in conversation with follow up questions or comments if they only give one short answers.Usage and Examples
The past conditional, or third conditional, is a verb tense that is used to talk about hypothetical situations that did not happen in the past. The use of the past conditional is common in conversations that involve speculating about past events or considering alternative outcomes. This tense is formed by combining the past perfect (had + past participle) with the conditional (would + have + past participle).
The grammatical format of the past conditional is as follows:
If + past perfect, would + have + past participle
Here are some examples of sentences using the past conditional:
- If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
- If he had arrived on time, we would have caught the train.
- If they had known about the traffic, they would have left earlier.
- If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a new car.
- If she had finished her work, she would have gone to the party.
In these examples, the past perfect is used to describe a situation that did not happen in the past, and the conditional is used to describe what would have happened if the situation had been different.
Conversation Questions
- If you had been born in a different country, where would you have wanted to grow up?
- If you had the opportunity to meet any historical figure, who would you have liked to meet?
- If you had won the lottery when you were 18, what would you have done with the money?
- If you had the chance to redo one moment in your life, what would you have done differently?
- If you had been given the opportunity to travel back in time, which period in history would you have visited?
- If you had been given the chance to attend any university in the world, where would you have gone?
- If you had been a character in a famous movie, which character would you have wanted to be?
- If you had been given the chance to learn any language when you were a child, which language would you have learned?
- If you had been offered a job in a different country when you were younger, would you have taken it?
- If you had been able to live in any time period, which one would you have chosen?
- If you had been given the opportunity to change one event in history, which one would you have changed?
- If you had been able to learn to play any musical instrument when you were a child, which musical instrument would you have chosen?
- If you had been able to spend a year living in a different country, where would you have gone?
- If you had been able to attend any concert in history, which one would you have gone to?
- If you had been able to choose your own name at birth, what name would you have picked?
- If you had been able to choose your own nationality, which one would you have chosen?
