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LESSON
GOAL Take responsibility for a mistake
CONVERSATION MODEL
4:25
A) Read and listen to someone taking responsibility for a mistake.
A: Sorry I'm late. I thought the meeting was tomorrow.
B: What happened?
A: I'm ashamed to say I just forgot to put it on my calendar.
B: Don't worry. That can happen to anyone.
A: Well, if I had written it down, I wouldn't have forgotten.
B: No harm done. We were just getting started.
4:26
B) Rhythm and intonation Listen again and repeat.
Then practice the Conversation Model with a partner.
GRAMMAR The past unreal conditional
The past unreal conditional describes unreal or untrue conditions and results.
Use the past perfect in the if- clause. Use would have or could have in the result clause.
If she had rented a more economical car, she wouldn't have spent so much money
on gas. (unreal condition: She didn't rent a more economical car.)
If Jonas Salk hadn't invented a vaccine to protect people against polio, many more
people would have gotten the disease. (unreal condition: He did invent a vaccine.)
Questions and answers
Could they have prevented the accident if they had known the tires were so old?
(Yes, they could have. / No, they couldn't have.)
How many people would have been injured or killed if air bags hadn't been
invented? (No one knows exactly, but a lot.)
2 If we had used our GPS, we wouldn't have gotten lost.
a We got lost.
A Understand the grammar Choose the meaning of each past unreal conditional sentence.
1 I wouldn't have gone to class if I had known I had the flu.
a I went to class.
b I didn't go to class.
b We didn't get lost.
4 The airline wouldn't have canceled the flight if
a They canceled the flight.
3 If they hadn't planted those new genetically engineered tomatoes, they would have lost this year's crop.
a They lost this year's crop.
b They didn't lose this year's crop.
you
Be carefull
Don't use would or
could in the if- clause.
Don't say: "If Jonas
Salk wouldn't have
invented..."
GRAMMAR BOOSTERp. 135
The unreal conditional: variety of
forms
hadn't had a program to predict engine failure.
b They didn't cancel the flight.
B Grammar practice Choose the correct forms to complete each past unreal conditional sentence.
1 What
do
not/
2 We
cannot / have
if you ................... a phone in your car?
this digital video conference if an Internet connection
not/be
this digital one.
late for the dinner.
3 If our old film camera
4 If she
not/break, we.....
her smart phone with GPS, she
take
5 If instrument navigation
not/be invented
not/buy
would not be
intercontinental air travel
not/ develop
available.
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