Grammar exercises

Exercise 1. Write second conditional sentences.

Model: If you / speak to your boss, I'm sure he / understand.

If you spoke to your boss, Гт sure he would understand.

1. It/be better for me if we/meet tomorrow.

2. She/not treat him like that if she really/love him.

3. If I/can live anywhere in the world, I/live in New Zealand.

4. The kitchen/look bigger if we/paint it white.

5. I/not buy that house if I/be you.

6. He/be more attractive if he/wear nicer clothes.

7. If we/not have children, we/travel more.

8. What/you do in this situation if you/be me?

Exercise 2. First or second conditional? Complete the sentences.

Model: If you tell her anything, she’ll tell everybody in the office. (tell)

We’d have a dog if we had a garden. (have)

1. It'll be quicker if we … a taxi to the airport. (get)

2. If you stopped smoking, you … better. (feel)

3. What would you do if you … your job? (lose)

4. If you buy the food, I … tonight. (cook)

5. I think he’d be happier if he … alone. (not live)

6. I’ll be very surprised if Marina … coming here. (not get lost)

7. Where will he live if he … the job in Moscow? (get)

8. If she didn’t have to look after her mother, she … life more. (enjoy)

Exercise 3. Make questions using the ideas given in brackets.

Model: (win a lot of money) – What would you do if you won a lot of money?

1. (your car is stolen) –

2. (become president) –

3. (lose your passport) –

4. (find a treasure) –

5. (be a priest) –

6. (get that job) –

Exercise 4. Use your own ideas to complete the sentences.

Model: If I won the lottery, I would buy a flat.

1. If I were a wealth businessperson, … .

2. If I became a great scientist, … .

3. If I didn’t go to work tomorrow, … .

4. If only I… .

5. If I were you, … .

6. If you asked me nicely, … .

Exercise 5. Put the verb in brackets into the correct form.

1. What would you do if you … (win) a million pounds?

2. If I was offered a job, I think I … (take) it.

3. If I won first prize, I … (buy) a house.

4. I would go for a ride if I … (have) a bike.

5. I … (help) you if I only knew how to do it.

6. If you … (take) more exercise, you’d feel better.

7. If I … (be) you, I would tell her what you feel.

8. They … (enjoy) themselves if they came.

Exercise 6. Dreams and reality (1). Jimmy is in prison. Read about his life in prison, then complete the sentences that express his dreams.

Reality

He’ in prison. He...

• gets up at 5.00

• wears a prison uniform

• has cold toast for breakfast

• works in a factory

• exercises in a yard

• watches TV every evening

• goes to bed at 9.00

Dream

If he weren’ in prison, ... he'd get up at 7.30.

1. he … a suit

2. he … coffee and croissants

3. he … in an office

4. he … squash

5. he … to night clubs

6. he … at midnight

Exercise 7. Dreams and reality (2). Look at the pictures of Laura's reality and dream, and complete the sentences. There are examples of the Present Simple and the Second Conditional.

Model: Laura lives (live) in a big city.

If she lived (live) in the country, she would have (have) a dog.

Laura (1) … (share) a flat with three other girls, but if it (2) … (be) possible, she (3) … (live) on her own. If she (4) … (live) in the country, she (5) … (buy) a little cottage, and she (6) … (grow) her own flowers and vegetables.

In town, she (7) … (travel) by Underground and (8) … (go) shopping in big department stores, but she (9) … (not like) this at all. If she (10) … (be) in the country, she (11) … (ride) her bike, and she (12) … (buy) things in the little village shop. She (13) … (love) walking, and often (14) … (go) for a walk in town, but the streers are noisy. In the country, she (15) … (walk) across the fields with her dog.

Exercise 8. Rewrite the following sentences using a Second Conditional.

Model: I’m not rich. I don’t live in a big house. –

If I were rich, I would live in a big house.

1. He works in the evening. He has no time to play with his children. –

2. She buys a lot of clothes. She has no money. –

3. I havent’ got a car. I can’t give you a lift. –

4. I go to bed late. In the morning I ‘m tired. –

5. She hasn’t got a watch. She’s always late. –

Exercise 9. Put the verbs in brackets into appropriate form.

1. I should come and see you off If I not (live) so far away. 2. If I had the money, I (buy) that overcoat. 3. They not (go) tomorrow if it rains. 4. If you (stay) here a little longer, you will see him. 5. I should be disappointed if they not (come). 6. If we had no luggage, we (walk) home. 7. If it (rain) on Sunday, I shall stay at home. 8. If he (be) here, he would answer you. 9. We shall be very sorry if he not (call) on us to-night. 10. We shan’t go out unless it (to stop) raining. 11. You will not have better health unless you (take) better care of yourself. 12. He would leave Moscow to-night if he (get) the necessary documents. 13. I would drive to the country if the weather (be) fine.

Exercise 10. Complete the sentences.

1. You would know English better if... . 2. I should leave Moscow now if ... . 3. If I were you, ... . 4. If I knew that it is going to rain, ... . 5. I shall go for a walk if ... . 6. I should lend you my text-book if... . 7. If we bought the tickets, … . 8. If they were here, ... . 9. We should be glad if ... . 10. If he were younger, ... . 11. If you got up earlier, … .

Exercise 11. What would you do if…? Work in pairs.

a. Student A, ask B your questions. Put the verbs in brackets in the past simple.

What would you do if you…?

(meet) your English teacher at a party

(find) a lot of extra money in your bank account

(get) a present from your partner that you really didn’t like

(hit) somebody’s car in a car park

(have) to sing at a karaoke evening

(be) invited to a really good concert by somebody you didn’t like

(see) your best friend’s personal diary open on a table

b. Answer B’s questions. Ask What about you?

Exercise 12. Match the sentence halves:

1) I wouldn't wear that hat	if she practised more
2) If you did more exercise	I’m sure she’d understand you
3) If it wasn’t so expensive	if I could find the right person
4) I’d get married tomorrow	you’d feel much better
5) She’d play better	I’d buy it
6) If you talked to her	if I were you

Exercise 13. Choose three of the sentence beginnings below and complete them in a way which is true for you. Tell a partner and say why.

If I won a ‘dream holiday’ in a competition, I’d go… .

If I could choose any car I liked, I’d have a… .

If I could be very good at a sport, I’d choose… .

If I could choose my ideal job, I’d… .

If I had more time, I’d learn… .

If I could buy a house in another country, I’d buy… .

TEXT 2

Our weekly questionnaire. This week we ask the actress and model Isabella Rossellini and dancer Joaquin Cortés…

1. If you could live in another period of time for its fashion, when would you choose and why?

2. If you could come back in another life, who (or what) would you like to be?

3. If you could change one part of your body, what would it be?

4. What would you wear if you were invited on a date by someone you really liked?

5. What would you eat for your last meal and who (dead or alive) would you share it with?

Ex. 1. Look at the two photos above and describe the people. Do you know anything about them?

Ex. 2. Read the questions in Getting personal and match two answers with each question. Try to guess which answers are Isabella Rossellini's and which are Joaquin Cortes's.

A. A fly on the wall, so I could watch people.

B. Either the thirties, for its elegance, or the seventies, for its hippy clothes and great music.

C. Jeans and a shirt.

D. My back. I would like 13 new vertebrae.

E. With a fabulous woman. I wouldn 't really care about the food.

F. I’d change everything.

G. Some super comfortable French pyjamas that everyone thinks are clothes.

H. A bird.

I. I would have a pasta supper with my dog, Macaroni. It's what she has wanted her whole life.

О. I’d choose today or any time after the end of the corset.

Ex. 3. Look at Getting personal again, and answer these questions.

1. In questions 1–4, what tense is the verb in the if clause?

2. What tense is the other verb?

3. How is question 5 different?

4. Do the questions refer to real or imaginary situations?