From Kenneth Beare,
Your Guide to English as 2nd Language.
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Making conditional statements are an important part of fluency. This lesson focuses on helping students improve their recognition of the structure and use it in conversation.

Aim: Improve recognition of the first and second conditional forms used in conditional statements, while inductively reviewing the structures.

Activity: Reading Short prepared text with first and second conditional forms included, Speaking Replying to student generated conditional questions, Writing Developing structurally correct questions using the first and second conditionals

Level: Intermediate

Outline:

• Ask students to imagine the following situation: You’ve arrived home late at night and you find that the door is open to your apartment. What would you do? - Refresh students awareness of the conditional in this relaxed introductory portion of the lesson.
• Have students read prepared extract using conditionals.
• Ask students to underline all conditional structures.
• In groups, students complete fill-in activity based on previous reading.
• Correct worksheets in small groups. Move about the room helping students with their corrections.
• Go over corrections as a class.
• Answer any questions they may have on first and second conditional structure at this point.
• In groups, have students prepare two “What if…” situations on a separate piece of paper. Ask students to employ first and second conditionals.
• Ask students to exchange their prepared situations with another group.
• Students in each group discuss the "what if..." situations. Move about the class and help students - especially concentrating on the correct production of the first and second conditional forms.

Exercise 1: Emergency Procedures

Directions: Underline all conditional structures with either 1 (first conditional) or 2 (second conditional)

If you take a look at the handout, you’ll find all the telephone numbers, addresses and other necessary information. If Tom were here, he'd help me with this presentation. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it today. OK, let's get started: Today’s subject is helping guests with emergency situations. We'd certainly have a worse reputation if we didn't handle these situations well. That's why we like to review these procedures every year.

If a guest looses his passport, call the consulate immediately. If the consulate isn’t nearby, you’ll have to help the guest get to the appropriate consulate. It would be great if we had some more consulates here. However, there are also a few in Boston. Next, if a guest has an accident which is not so serious, you’ll find the first-aid kit under the reception desk. If the accident is serious, call an ambulance.

Sometimes guests need to return home unexpectedly. If this happens, the guest might need your help making travel arrangements, re-scheduling appointments, etc. Do everything you can to make this situation as easy to cope with as possible. If there is a problem, the guest will expect us to be able to handle any situation. It’s our responsibility to make sure ahead of time that we can.

Exercise 2: Check Your Understanding

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the correct missing half of the sentence

you’ll have to help the guest get to the appropriate consulate
you’ll find all the telephone numbers, addresses and other necessary information
the guest will expect us to be able to handle any situation
if we didn't handle these situations well
If Tom were here
If this happens
If a guest looses his passport
call an ambulance

If you take a look at the handout, _____. _____, he'd help me with this presentation. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it today. OK, let's get started: Today’s subject is helping guests with emergency situations. We'd certainly have a worse reputation _____. That's why we like to review these procedures every year.

_____, call the consulate immediately. If the consulate isn’t nearby, _____. It would be great if we had some more consulates here. However, there are also a few in Boston. Next, if a guest has an accident which is not so serious, you’ll find the first-aid kit under the reception desk. If the accident is serious, _____.

Sometimes guests need to return home unexpectedly. ______, the guest might need your help making travel arrangements, re-scheduling appointments, etc. Do everything you can to make this situation as easy to cope with as possible. If there is a problem, _____. It’s our responsibility to make sure ahead of time that we can.