Speaking:
Chain of Regrets
Grouping:
Time:
Groups of 3-4
20 minutes
Aim
Students will practice forming and using complex conditionals in a storytelling format, linking past, present, and future references.
Materials
• A set of prompt cards with hypothetical past events (e.g., missed a flight, forgot a friend’s birthday, lost a job opportunity).
Preparation
• Prepare and print prompt cards with different past situations.
• Ensure students are familiar with different mixed conditional structures.
Activity Breakdown
1. Each group selects a prompt card with a past event.
2. The first student forms a complex conditional sentence based on the prompt (e.g., If I hadn’t missed my flight, I wouldn’t have had to book a new one).
3. The next student continues with a follow-up consequence (And if I hadn’t booked a new one, I wouldn’t have met my future boss).
4. The chain continues until a logical ending is reached.
5. Groups share their stories with the class.
Instructions
1. Take a card and read the situation aloud.
2. Say a conditional sentence about what could have happened differently.
3. The next person adds to the story with another conditional.
4. Continue until you reach a logical conclusion.
5. Share your group’s story with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• Are we talking about real or imaginary situations? (Imaginary)
• Can we mix past, present, and future in one sentence? (Yes)
• Is “If I had studied more, I would know this” correct? (Yes)
Examples
• If I hadn’t forgotten my friend’s birthday, he wouldn’t be mad at me now.
• If I had invested in Bitcoin, I would be a millionaire today.
Extensions/Varations
• Easier: Provide students with sentence starters.
• Harder: Remove prompts and let students create their own chain stories.
Error Correction
• The teacher monitors for errors and corrects conditionals during class feedback.
Writing:
Regrets and What-Ifs
Grouping:
Time:
Individual, then peer review
30 minutes
Aim
Students will produce written narratives using complex conditionals and mixed time references.
Materials
• Writing prompts.
Preparation
• Prepare a list of personal and historical “what-if” scenarios.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students choose a prompt and write a short story incorporating mixed conditionals.
2. They exchange stories with a peer and underline all conditionals.
3. Pairs discuss and improve each other’s use of conditionals.
Instructions
1. Choose a writing prompt.
2. Write a short story using mixed conditionals.
3. Exchange your writing with a partner.
4. Underline the conditionals and suggest improvements.
5. Share one improved sentence with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• Are we imagining past, present, and future changes? (Yes)
• Do we always use “would have” in the result clause? (Not always)
Examples
• If I had taken that job abroad, I would be living in Paris now.
• If she had studied medicine, she might be a doctor today.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students rewrite their story in a completely different outcome.
• Easier: Provide a word bank of key conditional phrases.
Error Correction
• The teacher provides feedback on grammar and sentence complexity.
Listening:
Rewriting History
Grouping:
Time:
Pairs
25 minutes
Aim
Students will analyze historical events and use mixed conditionals to discuss alternative outcomes.
Materials
• A short text or video clip summarizing a historical event.
Preparation
• Prepare listening or reading materials on famous historical events.
• Provide a set of discussion questions focusing on hypothetical outcomes.
Activity Breakdown
1. Students read or listen to a historical event summary.
2. In pairs, they discuss how the event could have been different using complex conditionals.
3. They write three mixed conditional sentences about the event.
4. Each pair shares their ideas with the class.
Instructions
1. Listen to the historical event summary.
2. Discuss what could have changed the outcome.
3. Write three conditional sentences about it.
4. Compare your sentences with another pair.
5. Present one sentence to the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• Are we describing real events or hypothetical situations? (Hypothetical)
• Should we mix past, present, and future references? (Yes)
Examples
• If the Titanic had changed course earlier, it wouldn’t have hit the iceberg.
• If the Wright brothers hadn’t invented the airplane, we wouldn’t have modern aviation today.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Students research their own historical events.
• Easier: Provide sentence starters.
Error Correction
• The teacher reviews sentence structure and pronunciation.
Reading:
Conditional Puzzles
Grouping:
Time:
Small groups
20 minutes
Aim
Students will recognize and construct complex conditionals by matching sentence halves.
Materials
• Strips of paper with different halves of conditional sentences.
Preparation
• Write out and cut mixed conditional sentences into two halves.
Activity Breakdown
1. Groups receive mixed-up sentence halves.
2. They match each conditional clause with its correct result clause.
3. Groups write new mixed conditional sentences.
4. Groups present one sentence to the class.
Instructions
1. Read the sentence halves.
2. Match them to make correct conditionals.
3. Write two new mixed conditional sentences.
4. Compare with another group.
5. Share one sentence with the class.
Concept Checking Questions
• Can the past affect the present in these sentences? (Yes)
• What tense is “If I had studied more, I would be rich now”? (Past perfect + present)
Examples
• If I had studied law, I would be a lawyer now.
• If she had left earlier, she wouldn’t be stuck in traffic.
Extensions/Varations
• Harder: Remove key verbs and have students supply them.
• Easier: Provide hints for matching pairs.
Error Correction
• The teacher checks for incorrect matches and explains errors.