Sport and Fitness

Let’s Speak Session

Third conditional
 Unreal conditionals: third conditional
We use the third conditional to talk about hypothetical situations in the past. The third
conditional refers to an impossible condition because it is in the past and we cannot
change what has happened. So it expresses a counterfactual thinking.

Examples

If + had + past participle, would/could/might + have + past participle

Explanation

If Christopher Columbus hadn’t discovered America, he wouldn’t have been famous.

If Einstein had lived longer, he might have contributed even more to human knowledge.
If I had known it was your birthday, I would have called you.
You wouldn’t have had a stomachache if you hadn’t eaten so much.
She might have passed the test if she had studied.
Latin American culture would have been different if the Spanish hadn’t conquered the region.
If you had taken a taxi, you would have arrived on time.
 Try to complete these examples.

wouldn’t
Examples

If it _____ rained, the match If she had practised harder, she

had
wouldn’t have been cancelled. _____ have won the tournament.
hadn’t

would

He ________ have been expelled If you ___ arrived on time, you

if he hadn’t hit the referee. wouldn’t have missed the match.
 Were you right?

wouldn’t
Examples

If it hadn’t rained, the match If she had practised harder, she

had
wouldn’t have been cancelled. would have won the tournament.
hadn’t

would

He wouldn’t have been expelled If you had arrived on time, you

if he hadn’t hit the referee. wouldn’t have missed the match.
 Here are more examples to explore.

Third conditional

• If the gym hadn’t closed down, I

would have joined long time ago.
• If the sportsman hadn’t broken his
More Examples

leg, he would have participated in the

competition.
• If the referee hadn’t been bribed, our
team would have won.
• If I hadn’t been ill, I would have
played with you.
• If I hadn’t had to work, I would have
watched the match.
 Think about these questions and answers.

The weather was sunny, so your friends and you played golf.
What sport might you have practised if the weather had been If the weather had been snowy, we might have gone skiing.
snowy?

While you were playing golf, the ball almost hits your window car.
If the ball had hit my window car, I would have got really angry.
Interactional Prompts

What would have happened if the ball had hit your window car.

You were watching a football match yesterday.

If the lights had gone out, I would have continued watching the
Where would you have continued watching the match if the lights match at my grandparents’ house.
had gone out?

You were playing rugby and your team lost.

If our team had won the match, we would have celebrated a lot.
What would you have done if your team had won?

You and your friends won a basketball game.

If we hadn’t won the game, we would have felt upset.
How would you have felt if you hadn’t won the game?

You bought a ticket for a match and it was cheap.

If the ticket hadn’t been cheap, I would have left.
What would have happened if the ticket hadn’t been cheap?
 Try to complete these answers.

We use the third conditional to talk about ___________ situations

When do we use the third conditional?
in the past .

The structure of the third conditional is:

What’s the structure of the third conditional?
____________________________________________.
Linguistic Prompts

Why is it said that the third conditional refers to an impossible Because the condition is in the ____ and we ______ change what
condition? has happened.

Counterfactual thinking is thinking about a past that _____

What is counterfactual thinking?
happen.

What’s the difference among “would”, “might” and “could”? “______” emphasises a certainty; “_____” emphasises a
possibility; and “_____” emphasises an ability or possibility.

Sure. Here’s an example:

Can you give me a sample sentence using the third conditional?
‘_________________________________________________’
 Were you right?

We use the third conditional to talk about hypothetical situations

When do we use the third conditional?
in the past .

The structure of the third conditional is:

What’s the structure of the third conditional?
If + past perfect, would + have + past participle.
Linguistic Prompts

Why is it said that the third conditional refers to an impossible Because the condition is in the past and we cannot change what
condition? has happened.

Counterfactual thinking is thinking about a past that didn’t

What is counterfactual thinking?
happen.

What’s the difference among “would”, “might” and “could”? “Would” emphasises a certainty; “might” emphasises a
possibility; and “could” emphasises an ability or possibility.

Sure. Here’s an example:

Can you give me a sample sentence using the third conditional?
‘If my parents hadn’t met, I wouldn’t have been born!’
 Let’s Speak

• Follow the instructions in each

situation.
• Interact with your teacher orally.
Live Session Prompts

• Use language from your online

course and from the Let’s Speak
materials.
• Use the pictures to help you.
• Answer in complete sentences.
 Activity 1: Answer your teacher’s questions about the
“third conditional”.
When do we use the third conditional?

What’s the correct choice? If nobody had found him, _________.

Live Session Prompts

a) he died b) he might have died c) he would die

What’s the correct choice? If you had asked, ________ you.

a) I would have helped b) I had helped c) I would help

What’s the correct choice?

a) If it would have been sunny, I would have gone to the beach.
b) If it had been sunny, I would have gone to the beach.

Complete with your own ideas:

* If I hadn’t had time to have lunch today, _______________.

Complete with your own ideas:

* If I had woken up late this morning, ___________________.
 Activity 2: Show your fluency. Your teacher will time you.

• In 30 seconds, talk about a sport that

you like or practise.
Fluency Practice

• In 30 seconds, talk about a sport that

you have never practised but would
like to.
• In 30 seconds, mention some extreme
sports. Which ones do you like? Would
you like to practise any?
 Activity 3: Answer the questions.
The weather was _____, so your friends and you played _____.
What sport might you have practised if the weather had been
_______?

While you were playing ________, the ball almost hits ________.
Live Session Prompts

What would have happened if the ball had hit ________.

You were watching a _______ match yesterday.

Where would you have continued watching the match if the lights
had gone out?

You were playing _______ and your team lost.

What would you have done if your team had won?

You and your friends won a _______ game.

How would you have felt if you hadn’t won the game?

You bought a ticket for a match and it was cheap.

What would have happened if the ticket hadn’t been cheap?