Support material

Learning activity 1

Presentation

A. Third conditional

1. Function

We use the third conditional to talk about “impossible” conditions. They are
“impossible” because you cannot go back in time and change them.

You can use the third conditional to express regret, criticism, fantasies, and
the like.

Take a look at the following examples:

a. If I had prepared my presentation better, I wouldn’t have gotten a bad

grade.

In this case, the speaker is regretting something he didn’t do: prepare his
presentation better. Now, he has to face the consequences of his decision:
he got a bad grade.

b. I wouldn’t have snapped if you hadn’t told me I am messy.

In this case, the speaker is criticizing the actions of another person to

explain his reaction: the other person told the speaker he was messy and
that’s why the speaker snapped.

2. Structure

The third conditional has two parts: the if clause and the independent clause.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what a clause is. The only thing you need to
remember is that the “if” part is the one that uses the past perfect.

Take a look at the following examples:

IF she hadn’t sold her car, he wouldn’t have given her a ride.

Let’s see the parts of the IF clause:

 Past participle
If Subject Had / Hadn’t Complement
of the verb
If she hadn’t sold her car

Now, let’s see the independent clause:

Would / could Past participle

Subject Have Complement
Wouldn’t / couldn’t of the verb
He wouldn’t have given her a ride

B. Initiative and self-direction

1. Basic concepts

In today’s world where technology has enhanced our learning environment,

teachers may be continents away from the learner. Nowadays, if you are
interested in learning something, you have no excuse. All over the world,
more and more people are taking initiative and have incorporated the
principles of self-directed learning into their lives.

Taking the initiative to become a self-directed learner is basically taking the

responsibility of your own learning. Using the tools available to make the
most of your current skills and acquire more skills that will allow you to grow
exponentially, personally and professionally speaking.

You might want to consider initiative as the necessary energy to start doing
something worth doing. Self-directed learning might be considered as a
complex with different interdependent and integrated layers.

The basic layers are made of the answers to these questions:

 What do I want to learn?

 Why do I want to learn it?

 When do I want to learn it?

 How can I specify my learning objectives?

 What resources do I have to learn it?

  How can I get more resources?

 How can I learn it better and more effectively?

 How can I assess what I learn?

B. Self-directed learning diagram

Set goal

Reflect Plan

Shoe what
you know Learn

Comparision with traditional method

Teacher directed
Lerner directed

Fuente: SENA

Practice
A. Complete the following sentences using the third conditional.

1. If I had known it was your birthday, I would have

_______________________________________________.

2. If I had known it was Halloween, I

_______________________________________________.

3. If _____________________________________, I would have brought my

bathing suit.

4. If you hadn’t been late, you wouldn’t have

_______________________________________________.

5. If I _____________________________________, I wouldn’t be hungry now.

6. If you had won the contest,

_______________________________________________.

7. If _____________________________________, we wouldn’t be lost now.

B. Fill in the blanks using the verbs in parenthesis. Read very carefully before
deciding whether to use a negative or positive verb form.

1. She wouldn't be angry now if I _____________________ her pie (to eat).

2. If they had known you were sick, they _____________________ you (to
visit).

3. I wouldn't have come by taxi if I _____________________ the bus I had to

take (to find).

4. They would have visited the Museum of Modern Art if they

_____________________ time (to have).

5. If you hadn't asked so many questions , I _____________________ the

movie (to enjoy).
 6. If just one person had remembered his birthday, he
_____________________ depressed (to be).

7. They _____________________ to see you if they hadn't been away (to

come).

8. If he _____________________ on a handicapped parking space, he wouldn't

have got a fine (to park).

9. If I'd known you were coming, I _____________________ a bottle of wine (to

buy).

10. If I _____________________ my bike unlocked, they wouldn't have stolen

her bike (to leave).

11. If you had told them about the party, they _____________________ (to go).

12. The flood _____________________ a lot of damage if it had come this way
(to do).

13. The picnic would have been wonderful if the weather

_____________________ better (to be).

C. Complete the following sentences with your own ideas:

1. If it hadn’t rained yesterday, ______________________________________.

2. If Lisa had arrived on time last night, ________________________________.

3. If I had prepared better for the interview, ____________________________.

4. They would have had a wonderful trip _______________________________.

5. The party would have been funnier _________________________________.

6. If I hadn’t exercised in excess, ____________________________________.

7. If she had worn hiking boots, ______________________________________.

D. Complete the following sentences using would have, wouldn’t have or had.

1. If I __________ asked her, she _____________ done it.

 2. They _______________come if she ____________invited them.

3. If my boss ___________seen me in the office, he __________told me about

the new project.

4. They _____________had so many problems if they __________planned

better.

5. If you ____________paid attention to the instructions, you

_____________made so many mistakes.

6. I ______________sent you a message to remind you if ___________had

your email address.

7. They ______________ accepted your project if you ___________explained it

better.

E. Choose the correct verb tense to complete the following sentences.

1. If Diane had gone to the exhibit, I ___________________ too.

a. went b. would have gone c. had gone

2. If you ___________________ me the book, I wouldn’t have finished my

thesis.

a. didn’t lend b. don’t lend c. hadn’t lent

3. I wouldn’t have stayed at that hostel if you __________________ it to me.

a. hadn’t recommended b. don’t recommend c. didn’t recommend

4. The would have been hurt if they _________________ their seat belt.

a. wouldn’t worn b. didn’t wore c. hadn’t worn

5. If you __________________ me, I would have told you.

a. had asked b. asked c. ask

6. If I hadn’t taken my raincoat, I ___________________ very wet.

a. got b. had gotten c. would have gotten

 7. You would have let me down if you ____________________ with us.

a. don’t come b. wouldn’t have come c. hadn’t come

8. If he ______________ in a rush, she wouldn’t have driven through a red light.

a. wasn’t b. hadn’t been c. wouldn’t be

F. What would you have done if you were them? Read the following regrets and for
each person, write at least two sentences about how you would have done
things differently:

1. “I don't really have many regrets. All my life I have basically had a few
dreams that I have achieved, but there’s one I didn’t. My first dream was
going to the United States on exchange but I didn’t feel very competent in
English. I should have taken more classes and studied more”.
Jorge

You:
a. __________________________________________________________.

b. __________________________________________________________.

2. “I have a couple of regrets. One is that I spent too much time playing video
games when I was at school and I never learned to play any instrument. I
would have liked to play in a band. Another regret is that I'm monolingual. I
only speak one language and I would have liked to learn another language
when I was young”.
Laura

You:
a. __________________________________________________________.

b. __________________________________________________________.

3. “Something that I regret a lot is not accepting a job offer that I was given a
few years ago. It was at a multinational company. I took another offer
because it was a couple of blocks away from my house. I don’t like to get up
early because my job is far away. Even though I'm fine right now, I know life
could have been better if I had taken the other offer”.
Alaina
 You:
a. __________________________________________________________.

b. __________________________________________________________.

4. “One of my biggest regrets is not becoming an English instructor. I was working

in Colombia as an English teacher and I felt it was my vocation, but I was
offered a high-paid job back in London and I accepted. For sure I have made a
lot of money, but I feel I should’ve followed my dream. I don’t feel
accomplished”.
Chester

You:
a. __________________________________________________________.

b. __________________________________________________________.

5. “About seven or eight years ago, I decided that making as much money as
possible was a goal that would bring the most happiness in my life. I closed my
online business and apply for a job at an insurance company. When I had my
own company, I was able to exercise my creativity on a daily basis. I was
making decent money and I knew I could make my business grow. Even though,
I make more money now, I feel there’s more to this life than accumulating
things”.
Kevin

You:
a. __________________________________________________________.

b. __________________________________________________________.

6. “One of my regrets is that I have not traveled abroad. I really wish that I had
traveled overseas after college as my parents suggested. I decided to enroll in a
Ph.D. program instead. After I finished, I was offered a job doing research. It is a
well-paid job and I have two kids, so it makes it impossible for me to travel now”.

Rebecca

You:
a. __________________________________________________________.

b. __________________________________________________________.
 Production

A. Write a composition about a bad day you have had in the past. In your
composition, you should provide answers to the following questions:

1. What went wrong and why?

2. What could have you done to prevent it?
3. What regrets do you have about it?

B. Write a composition about a time when you decided to learn something. How
did you do it? Did you set any goals? Did you measure your progress? Did you
achieve your goal?

Document control
 Name Position Dependence Date

Theme expert Dirección de

Asesora English formación
Author November
Nicole Bruskewitz Dot Works - profesional.
2014
Programa de Dirección
bilingüismo General

Copy editor – Centro

Rachman Bustillo October
Adaptation Línea de Agroindustrial.
Martínez 2015
producción Regional Quindío