TEACHER’S NOTES
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Just Imagine
Activity Type Introduction
Writing and speaking In this entertaining speaking activity, students complete third
activity conditional sentences about imaginary or unlikely situations in the
past. The students then play a game where they race to find out
who wrote each sentence by asking third conditional questions.
Language Focus
Third conditional Procedure
Divide the students into groups of three. Groups of four are also
possible.
Aim
Give each group a set of cards and tell the students to deal out
To complete third
the cards evenly.
conditional sentences and
then ask third conditional Students then complete the third conditional sentences on their
questions to find out who cards any way they like. Students should not write their names on
wrote each sentence. the cards or let anyone see what they are writing.
The students now work together as a class. Put a box in the middle
of the room and ask all the students to fold up their completed
Preparation sentences and put them in the box.
Make one copy of the Demonstrate the activity by taking a card from the box and
cards for each group of reading the sentence aloud, e.g. 'If I had gone on holiday last
three or four and cut week, I would have gone to the beach'.
as indicated. You will
also need a box for this Elicit the third conditional question you will need to ask to find
activity. out who wrote the sentence, i.e. 'If you had gone on holiday last
week, would you have gone to the beach?'
Ask students the question until you find the person who wrote the
Level sentence. Make it clear that even though students may answer
Intermediate yes to the question, you are looking for the person who wrote it.
If this happens, students can reply 'Yes, I would, but I didn't write
the sentence'.
Time Now ask the students to stand up and take one card each from
30 minutes the box. If they choose their own sentence, they should put it
back and take another one.
Students then go around the class asking their questions to find
out who wrote the sentence on their card. When a student finds
the person who wrote the sentence, they write the person’s name
on the card, keep it, and take another card from the box.
The students repeat the activity until there are no sentences left
in the box. The student with the most sentences at the end of the
game wins.
Afterwards, ask students to report back to the class on what they
found out during the activity.
[Link] © 2017 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
THIRD CONDITIONAL
ESL / EFL RESOURCES Just Imagine
If I had gone on holiday last week, If I had gone to bed late last night,
I would have... I would have...
If I had found a lot of money on my way to If I hadn’t decided to learn English,
class today, I would have... I would have...
If I had followed my parent's advice, If I had met my great-great-grandparents,
I would have... I would have...
If I had met an alien on my way to class If I had been born a member of the
today. I would have... opposite sex, I would have...
If I hadn’t come here today, If I had never met my best friend,
I would have... I would have...
If I had been born into a famous family, If I had saved more money,
I would have... I would have...
[Link] © 2017 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.
