I need some advice

A:	Would you mind if I asked you for some advice?
B:	Of course I wouldn’t. mind.
A:	I’m thinking of buying a used car from Ralf Jones, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea. What do you think?
B:	Do you want my honest opinion?
A:	Yes, of course.
B:	Well … to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t buy a used car from Ralf if I were you. If you bought a used car from Ralf, you’d probably regret it.
A:	I guess you’re right. Thanks for the advice.

Practice this model dialog using the following substitutions and think of some more advice:

ask the boss for a raise this week → get fired; grow a moustache → look very funny; work overtime this weekend → be exhausted by Monday morning; ………

Exercise 12. Practice these chain ideas with “if” to show how things could have been different. Example:

If he hadn’t worked so hard, he wouldn’t have passed his exams. If he hadn’t passed his exams, he wouldn’t have gone to university. If he hadn’t have gone to university...

1. He worked hard → passed exams → went to the university → studied languages → learnt Chinese → went to China → went climbing in Tibet → tried to climb Everest → disappeared in a snowstorm.

2. He bought a bicycle → went for a ride in the country → fell off → woke up in the hospital → met a beautiful nurse → wrote a best-selling novel about her → got rich → married a beautiful nurse and had three beautiful children → lived happily ever after → …

3. Mary’s mother went out that evening → Mary cooked for herself → got interested in cocking → opened a very successful restaurant → had Prime Minister as customer → Prime Minister ordered lobsters → Lobsters poisoned the Prime Minister → The Prime Minister died → Mary went to prison for life…

Make your own if-chains as many as you can.

Exercise 13. Put in the correct verb forms.

If Jane (to help), me I (to be) in great trouble.

If he (to run) a bit taster, he (to win).

If I (to be) tired, I (may realize) what was happening.

If my mother (to be alive), she (to be) eighty next year.

Nothing (to happen), if you (to follow) the instructions.

I (not to cancel) the appointment, if I (not to fall) ill.

We (to contact) them long ago if someone (to tell) us that it was necessary.

If I (to be) you, I (not to believe) it.

I (to arrange) everything myself, if you (to ask) me in good time.

Exercise 14. Bernie and Martin share a room at college. Read what they say about each other and imagine you are Bernie. Express your wish about Martin’s behavior to be improved. Then imagine you are Martin. Wish to improve Bernie’s behavior.

Martin: “It’s dreadful having to share a room with Bernie. He’s so untidy! His books are all over the place, he never washes his coffee cup, he leaves dirty clothes around the room – it’s such a mess I can’t work. And he comes in late in the evening when I’m trying to sleep and lies in bed watching television. I can’t stand it!” (Martin says: “I wish Bernie wouldn’t leave his books all over the place.”...)

Bernie: “The trouble with Martin is that he never relaxes. He’s always working and he’s always bad-tempered. He doesn’t tell me what’s wrong, he just sulks. And he interferes with my possessions. He moves my books around so I can’t find them.” (Bernie says: “I wish Martin would relax sometimes.”...)

Exercise 15. You admit that you are not that perfect, as you would like to be. Express you wish to become an ideal person according to the following model: