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ESL forum > Ask for help > Unreal Conditionals Tip    

Unreal Conditionals Tip



portiglioti
Brazil

Unreal Conditionals Tip
 
Hello Friends, 

I �m teaching unreal conditionals to my students, they quite understand how they work when they are doing isolated exercises about second or third conditional, although, when they �re the conditionals are mixed it �s a big confusion, and I �m having a hard time about showing the students when a conditional is second or third type... For example: 

We (learn)______ a lot from animals if they (can) ___________ talk.

I (not buy) __________ this car if I (know) __________ it was so unreliable.

They have a hard time understanding and me explaining

I �d like to know if you have any tips to help them and me in identifying each type of conditinal when they �re mixed.

Thanks in advance, 

Geovane :)

24 Nov 2011      





Engteachar
Argentina

Second conditional refers to a present or future situation.
Third conditional refers to a past situation.

24 Nov 2011     



ueslteacher
Ukraine

I have some very good grammar reference books with very clear explanations. If you pm me your e-mail address, I �ll send you the pages which refer to Conditionals. 
Sophia

24 Nov 2011     



sheilasantha
Malaysia

I teach it using a continuum ranging from Fact - possible to Regret/wis. That way it �s easy to show the difference between Zero conditional (If water is heated to 100 Celcius, it boils) to 1st, 2nd then 3rd (which is at the other end of the continuum.)

25 Nov 2011     



banians
Guatemala

It is hard to identify the mixed conditional from the third.

The third conditional is a hypothetical thing about the past
 
PAST EFFECT ON PAST
 
"If people hadn �t invented fire, they wouldn �t have moved to the arctic"
 
PAST EFFECT ON PRESENT
 
"If we had not invented fire, we would not be warm right now.
 
The "if" clause is using the third conditional form and the  main clause is using the second conditional �s structure because it is an effect on the present (and hypothetical).
 

25 Nov 2011