1. Choose the correct answer.
1) If he would ask / asked her out, she would say yes.
2) If we spoke / would speak Spanish, I would go on holiday to Spain.
3) I would be / was very rich if I won the lottery.
4) If you said / would say sorry, she would make up with you.
5) He would ask you out if you would chat / chatted him up.
6) If they worked harder, they earned / would earn more money.
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1) asked 2) spoke 3) would be
4) said 5) chatted 6) would earn
2. Rewrite the two sentences as one second conditional sentence.
1) You drink a lot of coffee. You sleep badly.
If you didn’t drink a lot of coffee, you wouldn’t sleep badly.
2) You don’t put your clothes away. Your room is a mess.
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3) You don’t eat vegetables. You aren’t healthy.
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4) You’re always with your friends. You don’t have time for me.
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5) You don’t study. You don’t pass your exams.
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6) You never save any money. We can’t go on holiday.
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7) You go to bed late. You’re tired.
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2) If you put your clothes away, your room wouldn’t be a mess.
3) If you ate vegetables, you’d / would be healthy.
4) If you weren’t always with your friends, you’d / would have time for me.
5) If you studied, you’d / would pass your exams.
6) If you saved some money, we could go on holiday.
7) If you didn’t go to bed late, you wouldn’t be tired.
3. Read what boys say about their girlfriends and what the girls say about their boyfriends. Complete the sentences with the past simple or would + base form.
1) ‘I wish she __would talk__ (talk) to friends.’
2) ‘I wish she ______________ (be) more punctual.’
3) ‘If only she ______________ (have) more free time.’
4) ‘I wish she ______________ (not phone) me all the time.’
5) ‘If only he ______________ (not have) that silly haircut.’
6) ‘I wish he ______________ (live) nearer to house.’
7) ‘If only he ______________ (not wear) such old clothes.’
8) ‘If only he ______________ (remember) birthday. He forgets every year.’
Show answers
2) was / were 3) had 4) wouldn’t phone
5) didn’t have 6) lived 7) didn’t wear
8) remembered / ’d / would remember
4. Use the words to make sentences.
1) I / rather / you / not borrow / clothes
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2) I / wish / we / live / in a bigger house
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3) If only / we / see / more of each other
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4) She / rather / stay in tonight
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5) I / wish / we / can / get married tomorrow
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6) If only / you / be / ten years younger
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Show answers
1) I’d / would rather you didn’t borrow clothes.
2) I wish we lived in a bigger house.
3) If only we saw more of each other.
4) She’d / would rather stay in tonight.
5) I wish we could get married tomorrow.
6) If only you were ten years younger.
5. Complete Jenny’s thoughts with the correct form of the verbs in the box.
ask be can fancy get on go out have know live look |
‘I wish I 1) __had__. a boyfriend. I quite like James. If only he 2) _____ me. The problem is, I’ve never spoken to him. If he 3) _____ me better, I’m sure he’d like me. I 4) _____ with him if he asked me. We 5) _____ go to the cinema together or hang out in the park. If we spent some time together, I’m sure we 6) _____ really well. He’s really good-looking. If only he 7) _____ at me. I wish he 8) _____ me to marry him. I’d rather 9) _____ with him than with parents. I’m sure we 10) _____ very happy together!’
Show answers
2) fancied 3) knew 4) ’d / would go out
5) could 6) ’d / would get on 7) ’d / would look
8) ’d / would ask 9) live 10) ’d / would be
Challenge!
Think about things you’d like to change in your life. Write five sentences using I wish, If only and I’d rather.
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