Unit 8: What if?

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutiérrez alarcón

 Grammar: Wishes for the present or future

• We use the past for a present situation after wish. We use wish to say that
we regret something, that something is not as we would like to be:

I wish it didn’t rain so

much in this city.

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

Examples:
- I wish I knew Sue’s telephone number. (I don’t know it.)
- Do you ever wish you could fly? (You can’t fly.)
- It’s crowded here. I wish there weren’t so many people. (There are a lot of
people.)
- I wish I didn’t have to work. (I have to work.)

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

 Grammar: Second Conditional (imaginary
situations)

Tom wants to call Sue, but he doesn’t know her telephone numbre.
He says:

If I knew her number, I would call her.

Tom says “ If I knew her number…” This tells us that he doesn’t
know her number.
He is imagining the situation. The real situation that he doesn’t
know her number.

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

When you imagine a situation like this, you use a past tense form after if. But
the meaning is present, not past:
- Tom would travel if he had more money. (but he doesn’t have much money.)
- If I didn’t want to know, I wouldn’t. (but I want to go.)
- We would have any money if we didn’t work. (but we work)

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

Exercises p.77

1. I wish _____________ (can do) something more exciting with my life. If I

_____________(have) the chance, I _____________(travel) around South
America.

2. I wish I _____________(not be) so shy. If I _____________(have) more

confidence, I ____________ probably _____________(enjoy) going out more.

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

3. I wish I _____________(not have to) study so hard.
If _____________(not get) so much homework, I _____________(be able to)
play on the soccer team.

4. I wish _____________(can finish)my degree this year. If I

_____________(graduate) this year, I _____________ can get) a job, and iI
_____________(can start) to pay off my students loans.

5. I wish I _____________(can find) a job nearer to home, if I _____________

(get) a new job, maybe I _____________(not have to) commute two hours a
day.

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

6. I wish I _____________(be) famous. If I _____________(be famous), I
_____________(be able to) go to shows and get the best seats! And I
_____________ (not eat) in the cheapest restaurants anymore.

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

Grammar: Asking about imaginary situations
or events (p.79)
What would you do if you broke a friend’s camera?
I’d apologize for breaking it.
I’d pay for the repairs.
I wouldn’t say anything about it.

Would you pay for a new one?

Yes, I would.
No, I wouldn’t.

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

Exercises p.79: Make questions with would using the ideas
below.
1. A friend is 15 minutes late/call and remind him about it.
_________________________________________________________________
2. You hear a strange noise in the middle og the night / go and see what it was
_________________________________________________________________
3. A salesperson charges you the wrong price for something / say something to her
_________________________________________________________________

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

4. You scratch a car with a shopping cart in a parking lot / leave a note with your name
and number
_________________________________________________________________
5. You find a nice pair of gloves on the sidewalk / think about keeping them
_________________________________________________________________
6. You have an extra ticket for a show / offer it to a friend but ask him to pay for it.
_________________________________________________________________

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn

7. You get a goft taht you hate from a friend / thank her for it and then get it rid of it.
_________________________________________________________________
8. Your friend asks for help moving into an apartment / find and excuse to get out of
helping them
_________________________________________________________________
9. Your friend is in a bad mood / take him out for a fun night
_________________________________________________________________

Ms. Lizeth Karina Gutièrrez Alarcòn