Discussing Possibilities and Imaginary Situations.

This lesson develops your ability to talk about real and imaginary possibilities, which is essential for problem solving and decision making. You listen to people discussing everyday situations such as travel plans, health choices and money problems, and you notice how they use if clauses to describe results and consequences. You practise talking about general facts, real future possibilities and unreal or imaginary situations, for example what you would do if you won a large amount of money. You also meet language for thinking about different choices in work and study. Small group tasks or guided online activities encourage you to discuss what might happen in various scenarios and to give advice based on conditions. By the end, you can explore options, express risks and suggest solutions using natural, flowing sentences.

1. Big decisions and general if sentences.

Imagine this situation. You live in a smaller town, and you have just received a job offer in London. It is exciting, but also a bit scary. You want to make a good decision, so you start thinking about what usually happens when people move to a big city. In English, we often use if sentences to talk about these general rules and typical results. For example, if you heat water, it boils. This is always true. In the same way, you can say, if you live in a big city, you spend more money on rent. These are called general conditionals or zero conditionals. In this block, we will focus on these general if sentences. First, you will listen to your aunt giving you some advice about life in London. While you listen, pay attention to what happens after if. Then you will try to write some of her ideas using your own if sentences.

The story: a job offer in London.

You have a good job in your home town, but now you have an offer from a company in London. Before you say yes or no, you want to think carefully about what life in a big city is like. To do this, you use English if sentences to talk about general rules.

These sentences are not about one specific future plan. They are about things that are usually true.

• If you heat water, it boils.
• If you do not drink water, you feel tired.
• If people work too much, they get stressed.

These are general facts or typical results. We often call this pattern the zero conditional.

Form of general if sentences.

Look at the structure:

• If + present simple, present simple result.

For example:

• If you live in London, you spend a lot on rent.
• If you cook at home, you eat more healthily.
• If you walk everywhere, you save money.

The order can change:

• You spend a lot on rent if you live in London.

The meaning is the same. Do not use will for this type of general truth.

Why these sentences are useful for decisions.

When you have a big decision, like moving to London, it helps to think about consequences in a general way:

• If you use public transport, you meet lots of different people.
• If you live far from your family, you miss them sometimes.
• If you have a good salary, you can save more money.

These sentences help you see patterns. In the audio at the bottom of this block, you will hear your aunt talking about life in London. She gives you some typical rules using if. Listen carefully and then write some of her ideas as if sentences.

Practice & Feedback

Listen carefully to your aunt talking about life in London. She uses several general if sentences to describe what usually happens in a big city. After you listen, write 3–4 sentences that show these general rules.

You can:

• copy the sentences you heard, or
• rewrite them in your own words, but keep the same meaning.

Make sure your sentences follow this pattern: If + present simple, present simple. For example: If you live in London, you spend a lot on rent.

Write each sentence on a new line. Do not worry if you are not sure about every word. Focus on using the if structure correctly and showing the typical result.

2. Real future possibilities with the first conditional.

Now let us move from general rules to your specific decision. You are still thinking about that job offer in London, but this time you want to talk about what might really happen in your future. For this, we normally use the first conditional. The pattern is different from the general one you saw before. We still use if and the present simple in the if part, but in the result part we often use will. For example, if it rains, we will stay at home. This is not a rule for all time, it is a decision about a real future situation. In your story, you talk with your friend Maya about the job. She asks you questions like, what will you do if you move to London, and what will happen if you stay here. In this block, you will read a short dialogue between you and Maya. Then you will write a short summary using first conditional sentences.

From general rules to real possibilities.

In the last block, you looked at general if sentences like If you live in London, you spend a lot on rent. These are about typical results, not one specific time.

Now you want to talk about your possible future, connected to the London job. For this, we usually use the first conditional.

Form of the first conditional.

Typical pattern:

• If + present simple, will + base verb

Examples:

• If it rains, we will stay at home.
• If you do not study, you will not pass.
• If we leave now, we will catch the train.

You can also change the order:

• We will stay at home if it rains.

Remember: in the if part we use the present simple, not will.

Dialogue: you and Maya discuss the job.

Read this short conversation. Notice how you and Maya use first conditional sentences to talk about real future possibilities.

> Maya: So, are you going to take the job in London?

> You: I am not sure. If I move to London, I will be far from my family.

> Maya: True. But if you stay here, you will probably earn less money.

> You: Yes. If I accept the job, I will have more opportunities to learn and grow.

> Maya: And if you do not like it, you can always come back later.

> You: If things go well, I will save some money and maybe buy a flat one day.

> Maya: If you need help with the move, I will come and visit you and carry some boxes.

These sentences are all about real future options connected to your decision.

In the activity, you will read a slightly longer version of this dialogue and then describe the situation using your own first conditional sentences.

Practice & Feedback

Read the dialogue in the resource carefully. It shows you and Maya talking about what will probably happen if you move to London and if you stay in your home town.

After reading, write 2 short paragraphs (about 3–4 sentences in total):

1. In the first part, explain what will probably happen if you move to London. Use at least two first conditional sentences, for example: If I move to London, I will ...
2. In the second part, explain what will probably happen if you stay where you are. Again, use at least two first conditional sentences, for example: If I stay here, I will ...

Try to reuse useful phrases from the dialogue, and focus on the pattern If + present simple, will + verb in the result.

3. Imagining different futures with would.

So far, you have talked about general rules and real future possibilities. Now let us relax a little and imagine. Maybe you think, if I were rich, I would not worry about this decision. Or, if I lived by the sea, I would not want to move to London at all. These sentences are not about real plans. They are about unreal or imaginary situations. We usually use the second conditional for this. The pattern is if plus a past form, and then would plus the base verb. For example, if I were rich, I would travel the world. If I had more free time, I would learn another language. In this block, you will see a short chat between you and your friend Sam, where you both dream about different futures. Then you will write your own chat style messages, using would to show what you would do in different imaginary situations.

Dreaming about different futures.

Sometimes we do not want to talk about real, likely plans. We want to imagine different lives:

• a world where you are rich;
• a life where you already live in London;
• a situation where you work online from a beach.

For this, we use the second conditional.

Form of the second conditional.

Typical pattern:

• If + past simple, would + base verb

Examples:

• If I were rich, I would travel the world.
• If I had more free time, I would learn another language.
• If I lived by the sea, I would go swimming every day.

These sentences describe unreal or imaginary situations in the present or future.

Notice the special form:

• We often say If I were you, I would ... when we give advice.

Chat with Sam.

Look at this example WhatsApp style chat. You are still thinking about London, but you and Sam start dreaming:

> You: I am tired of thinking about money. If I were rich, I would not worry about rent in London.

> Sam: Same here. If I won the lottery, I would buy a small flat in London and a house by the sea.

> You: If I lived by the sea, I would go swimming every day before work.

> Sam: If you worked from home, you would not have to take the Tube at rush hour.

> You: True. If I had more free time, I would travel the world and visit you.

These are not real plans at the moment. They help you explore ideas and feelings.

In the activity, you will continue this kind of conversation in your own words.

Practice & Feedback

Read the chat in the resource to remind yourself how the second conditional looks in a real conversation. Notice how if is followed by a past form, and the result part uses would.

Now imagine you are chatting with a close friend about your life and the London job. Write 4–6 short chat messages as if you are sending them on WhatsApp or another app.

Include at least three second conditional sentences. For example:

• If I got the job, I would move to London next year.
• If I were rich, I would live in two countries.

You can:

• dream about money, time, travel, where you live or work;
• mix serious ideas and fun ideas.

Write it in chat style, with separate lines starting with You: if you like.

4. Giving advice with if and would.

You have now seen how if sentences can describe general facts, real future possibilities and imaginary situations. Another very common use is to give advice. When friends and colleagues have problems, we often mix different conditional patterns. For example, if you feel ill, you should see a doctor. That is a general rule. For more personal advice, we often say, if I were you, I would talk to your boss, or I would not do that if I were you. In your London story, you decide to write to a careers coach for help. He reads about your worries and answers with some clear, conditional style advice. In this block, you will read his reply and notice how he uses if sentences to give suggestions. Then you will write your own advice sentences to someone in a similar situation, using a mix of first and second conditionals.

Using if sentences to give advice.

Conditionals are very useful when you want to help someone solve a problem. You can talk about:

• general rules: If you feel ill, you should see a doctor.
• real future results: If you do not study, you will not pass.
• personal, imaginary versions: If I were you, I would talk to your boss.

That last pattern is very common for advice:

• If I were you, I would ...
• I would not do that if I were you.

Your email to a careers coach.

You write to James, a careers coach:

> *Dear James,

> I have a good job offer in London, but I am not sure if I should accept it. If I move, I will be far from my family. If I stay, I will earn less and maybe feel bored. What should I do?*

> *Best wishes,

> A worried professional*

James replies:

> Dear Worried Professional,

> Thank you for your message. If you stay where you are, you will probably feel safe but limited. If you take the job in London, you will have more chances to grow and meet new people. If I were you, I would accept the job, but I would also make a clear plan. If you feel lonely, you should join clubs or classes. If you really hate it after one year, you can look for another job or move back. Things will improve if you work together with your manager to create a good plan.

> Best regards,

> James

Notice how James combines different if sentences to give balanced advice.

In the activity, you will become the adviser and write conditional style advice to someone making a big decision.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine a friend writes to you with a similar email about a big decision. It could be about a job in another city, starting university, or taking a year abroad. They are not sure what to do.

Your task is to write 4–5 advice sentences using if structures. Try to mix at least one of each type:

• a general rule, for example: If you feel very stressed, you should talk to someone.
• a first conditional, for example: If you move abroad, you will improve your English.
• a second conditional advice sentence, for example: If I were you, I would accept the offer.

Write your advice directly to your friend, as if you are answering their email. Focus on being clear, kind and using the conditional patterns correctly.

5. Talking about past regrets with the third conditional.

There is one more important way we use if sentences. Sometimes the decision is already in the past and we cannot change it, but we still imagine a different past and different results. For example, you might think, if I had studied more, I would have got a better mark. This is the third conditional. It helps us talk about regrets and lessons from past situations. In your London story, you meet Lina, a colleague who had a similar offer last year. She did not accept the job, and now she sometimes thinks about what might have happened. In this block, I will introduce you to Lina and her story. You will listen to her talking about her past decision. Then you will write a few third conditional sentences about Lina and perhaps about your own life. You do not need to be perfect. The goal is to start feeling how this pattern works in real stories.

When the past cannot change.

Sometimes we look back and think, I wish I had done something different. We know the past is finished, but we still imagine another version.

To talk about these past regrets and unreal past results, we often use the third conditional.

Form of the third conditional.

Typical pattern:

• If + had + past participle, would have + past participle

Examples:

• If I had studied more, I would have got a better mark.
• If we had left earlier, we would have caught the train.
• If I had known, I would have called you.

These sentences describe an imaginary past and result. In reality, you did not study, you did not leave earlier, you did not know.

Lina's story.

Lina is a colleague from another department. Last year she had a job offer in London, similar to you. She decided to stay in her city. Now she talks about it:

• She feels she missed a chance to grow.
• She wonders what would have happened if she had accepted.
• She has also learned some lessons for the future.

In the listening at the bottom of this block, Lina tells her story using some third conditional sentences.

When you write about Lina, focus on this idea:

• Reality: what actually happened.
• Imaginary past: what would have happened if the decision had been different.

For example:

• Reality: Lina stayed in her city.
• Imaginary: If Lina had taken the job, she would have lived in London last year.

In the activity, you will write a few sentences like this about Lina, and you can add one sentence about your own life too.

Practice & Feedback

Listen to Lina talking about her past decision. Pay attention to sentences with If I had ... and would have .... These are third conditionals about regrets and unreal past results.

After listening, do two things:

1. Write 2–3 sentences about Lina using the third conditional. For example: If Lina had accepted the job, she would have met new people. Try to show clearly what did not happen in reality.
2. Write 1 sentence about your own life using the third conditional. Think of a time when you did not do something, but later you thought it was a mistake or simply different.

Focus on this form: If + had + past participle, would have + past participle. Do not worry if it is not perfect; this is just your first practice.

6. Putting all the conditionals together.

You have reached the final stage of this lesson. You have followed one story about a possible move to London, and along the way you have practised different if sentences. You started with general rules, like if you heat water, it boils. Then you looked at real future possibilities, such as if you move to London, you will have more opportunities. You imagined unreal futures with sentences like if I were rich, I would travel the world. You also listened to Lina and her past regrets, for example if I had accepted the job, I would have improved my English. Now it is time to bring these ideas together in one small performance task. In this block, you will plan and write a message to a close friend. You will explain your current decision about the job, explore different possibilities and maybe mention a past lesson. Try to use a mix of conditional patterns so your message sounds natural and thoughtful.

Your decision message.

You have thought about the job offer, talked to friends, dreamed about different futures and listened to Lina's story. Now you want to explain your thoughts clearly to a close friend in one connected text.

You will write a message (or email) of about 120–150 words. You can decide whether you finally accept the job, say no, or are still thinking.

A simple structure you can follow.

You can organise your message like this:

1. Opening: say hello and explain the situation in one or two sentences.
2. General ideas: mention one or two general rules that are important to you, using a zero conditional.
3. Real options: explain what will probably happen if you accept and if you refuse, using the first conditional.
4. Imaginary ideas: add one or two sentences with the second conditional to show dreams or feelings.
5. Past lesson (optional): if you feel confident, add one third conditional sentence about a past decision that taught you something.

Useful phrases.

You can reuse some of these chunks:

• If you heat water, it boils. (pattern for general rules)
• If I move to London, I will ...
• If I stay here, I will ...
• If I were rich, I would ...
• If I had studied more, I would have got a better mark. (pattern for regrets)
• If I were you, I would ...

A short example outline.

> Hi Maya, thanks for listening. If I work too much, I get stressed, so balance is important for me. If I take the job in London, I will have more opportunities, but I will be far from my family. If I stay here, I will feel safe but a bit bored. If I were rich, I would live in both places, but that is only a dream. If I had accepted Lina's job last year, I would have learned from her experience, but I did not. I think I will accept this offer and see what happens.

In the activity, you will write your own version, with your own ideas.

Practice & Feedback

Write a message or email to a close friend (for example, Maya or Sam) explaining your thoughts about the London job or a similar big decision in your life.

Your message should be about 120–150 words. Try to:

• start with a short greeting and explanation of the situation;
• use at least one zero conditional sentence about a general rule that is important to you;
• use at least two first conditional sentences to talk about real future possibilities;
• use at least one second conditional sentence to show an imaginary idea or dream;
• optionally include one third conditional sentence about a past lesson.

Focus on clear communication and natural flow. Do not worry if the structure is not perfect, but do try to use a variety of if sentences. Write it as one connected text, not separate bullet points.