The €10,000 Question — Second Conditional (A2)

A2 · SECOND CONDITIONAL

The €10,000 Question

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“If I were you, I’d finish this interview quickly.”

Second conditional: if + past, would / wouldn’t · If I were you…

Listening

Speaking

STAGE 1 · WARM-UP

One extra free day

Finish this sentence honestly, in five seconds, no thinking:

“With one extra free day every week, I would…”

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Go around the class — no repeats allowed!

STAGE 2 · BEFORE YOU LISTEN

€10,000 in a bag

A reporter stopped four people and asked: “Imagine you found €10,000 in a bag on a park bench, with no name on it. What would you do?”

PREDICT

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Predict the four answers. How many people will say “I’d keep it”? Who surprises the reporter most?

STAGE 3 · LISTENING

Listen — who surprises the reporter?

STAGE 3 · LISTENING

Listen — who surprises the reporter?

Tapescript: street interviews

REPORTER: If you found €10,000 in a bag — no name, nobody around — what would you do?

RUTH, 67: I’d take it straight to the police. Every cent. Somebody would be crying about that bag, and I wouldn’t sleep. If nobody collected it in a year, it would come back to me anyway — I checked!

DEAN, 24: Honestly? I’d keep it. I’d pay my rent and fix my car. Guilt? Massive guilt… in my fully repaired car.

AMIRA, 41: It would depend on the bag. If it looked expensive, I’d take it to the police. My daughter is next to me with big ears…

DAUGHTER: Mum, if you kept it, could we go to Disneyland?

AMIRA: …We’d discuss it as a family.

VICTOR, 58: Nothing. I wouldn’t touch it. If it were real, the owner would come back. If I were you, I’d finish this interview quickly and choose a different park.

STAGE 4 · COMPREHENSION

Who would do what?

Write the name: Ruth, Dean, Amira or Victor.

1. ______ wouldn’t touch the bag at all.

2. ______ would take it to the police — but would dream a little on the way.

3. ______ would use the money for rent and car repairs.

4. ______ says the answer would depend on the bag — at first!

5. ______ knows what happens to the money if nobody collects it.

6. ______ thinks the bag could be dangerous.

7. ______ changes their answer because a family member is listening.

STAGE 5 · TALK ABOUT IT

What do you think?

Discuss with a partner.

What would YOU honestly do — Ruth’s way, Dean’s way or Victor’s way? Would the amount change your answer?

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Amira’s daughter changed everything. Are we more honest when somebody is watching?

STAGE 6 · GRAMMAR — NOTICE

The second conditional

“If you found €10,000, what would you do?”

1. Which tense is after “if”? 2. Is it about the past — or an imaginary situation now/in the future?

Find and copy from the tapescript:

• a second conditional with wouldn’t: ______

• a second conditional with could (listen to Amira’s daughter!): ______

• Victor’s sentence with “If I were you”: ______

In the advice expression “If I ___ you”, do we use “was” or “were”?

STAGE 7 · THE RULES

Second conditional

if + past , would / wouldn’t + infinitive

If I found €10,000, I’d take it to the police.

• Use it for imaginary / hypothetical situations. The past tense here is NOT past time.

• would / wouldn’t is the same for all persons; ’d = would.

• Use could instead of would: If we went by car, we could stop on the way.

• With be, use were for all persons: If I were rich… If I were you, I’d…

First vs second: First = a real possibility (If I find your keys, I’ll call). Second = imaginary (If I found €10,000, I’d…).

STAGE 8 · PRACTICE

Put the verbs in the correct form

1. If I (have) more free time, I (learn) the piano.

2. She (travel) more if flights (not / be) so expensive.

3. If you (can) live anywhere, where (you / live)?

4. He (not / say) that if he (know) the truth.

5. If we (win) the lottery, we (buy) this whole street.

6. What (you / do) if your phone (disappear) for a month?

STAGE 8 · PRACTICE

First or second conditional?

1. (real:) If it rains / rained tomorrow, I ’ll get / ’d get wet.

2. (dream:) If I am / were invisible, I ’ll listen / ’d listen to everything.

3. If I see / saw Ana at work today, I ’ll give / ’d give her your message.

4. If dogs can / could talk, mine will / would complain all day.

5. Advice — your friend never sleeps enough. Start: If I were you, I’d…

STAGE 9 · SPEAKING

The dilemma café

STEPS 1–2

In pairs, write two juicy dilemmas (question form, second conditional). Put all cards in the middle; in groups of four, take turns to pick one and ask the group. No one-word answers — say what you’d do AND why. Disagree! Interrogate!

“If a restaurant forgot to charge you, would you say something?” “If you could read minds for a day, would you tell anybody?”

STEPS 3–4 — THE ADVICE ROUND

Each person shares one real small problem. The group answers with “If I were you, I’d… / I wouldn’t…”. The problem-owner picks the best advice. Report the best “If I were you” of the day!

TEACHER'S REFERENCE

Answer key

4a 1 Victor 2 Ruth 3 Dean 4 Amira 5 Ruth 6 Victor 7 Amira

4b Somebody would be crying about the bag (she’d feel guilty). Victor’s advice: “If I were you, I’d finish this interview quickly and choose a different park” — but it’s the reporter’s lunch-break park.

6 1 past (simple) 2 an imaginary situation now/future. wouldn’t: I wouldn’t touch it. could: if you kept it, could we go to Disneyland? “If I were you, I’d finish…”. Advice = were.

8a 1 had / ’d learn 2 ’d travel / weren’t 3 could / would you live 4 wouldn’t say / knew 5 won / ’d buy 6 would you do / disappeared

8b 1 rains / ’ll get (first) 2 were / ’d listen (second) 3 see / ’ll give (first) 4 could / would complain (second) 5 (sample) If I were you, I’d go to bed before midnight.