If I were ...

Note that with the verb To Be we use IF + I / HE / SHE / IT + WERE

The reason we use WERE instead of WAS is because the sentence is in the Subjunctive mood.

• If I were not in debt, I would quit my job.

• If he were taller, he'd be accepted into the team.

• She would be still be correcting my grammar if she were still alive.

Though in informal English, you will hear some people say If I was... If he was... etc. This usage doesn't sound good though unfortunately is common.

See our grammar notes about IF I WERE YOU...

Could in Second Conditional sentences

COULD can be used instead of WOULD to make the hypothetical present or future more likely.

• If he trained every day, he could represent his country

• If I had a little more money, I could buy a car.

Exercises

a) Choose the correct option to form second conditional sentences.

1. No mother would have sent/would send a child to anything so awful if she is not/ were not in such misery herself!

2. I wouldn’t / mustn’t be surprised if we will turn / turned out to be ordinary humans, after all.

3. If Maggie looked/ would look out his eyes, would she / did she come away from the terrifying experience?

4. If the captain was / had shipwrecked, and you wanted/ want to rescue him in a boat, he would want / will want to know who was rowing the boat before he would get / got in.

5. The transfer will / would be easier if she would have /had no idea what was happening.

6. The East India Company can / could break Miguel’s control, if it can increase / increased the coffee amount on the market.

7. If my brother were / had to blame he will/ would ask your forgiveness.

8. If this could / was be arranged there will be/ would be nothing left for Chris to do.

9. It would look / will look as if we were / had been conspiring.

10. If it weren't / wouldn’t be for the pain and disgrace Sue would be / will be willing to end it all.

b) Insert the verbs in the appropriate form to form second conditionals.

1. Binnerts _____________ (may) look for some sources on Dracula, if there__________ (be) any.

2. If the police__________ (turn) the robber out he ___________ (do) it again.

3. Molly’s face says 'I __________ (love) you if ______ I but I can't...’

4. These legends ___________ (draw) them on, if only they _________ (have) no time to think realistic.

5. If the King __________ (employ) an agent it (certainly be) you.

6. If Greg ____________ (not have) money enough to move to another town, we____________ (give) it to him.

7. If Mollenhauer and Butler and___________ (can) get together, it ___________ (be) a very different matter.

8. If it ____________ (be) up to me, I _________ (have) my helicopter airborne.

9. '___________ (not can) you know more, if you _________ (think) proper?'

10. You _________ (can) write every month if you _________ (like).

Find and correct mistakes in the second condition sentences. Some sentences are correct.

1. How could mother go on living with him if it were like this!

2. I would be grateful if Jack will distribute this text.

3. I should be grateful if this text would have been circulated as a document.

4. Even if I remember them, whom could they interest?

5. If Mike were to challenge you to a duel, what should you do?

6. But if wind energy can be more efficiently stored, wind power could compete with other types of electricity generation.

7. if Katerina did really come first to Tatyana's lodgings, Marya could have detain her.

8. If six of us had to die on the way, what was to keep me from crying?

9. I should have ship as a loafer if ever I shipped at all.

10. Montezuma would be very angered, if I were sacrificed in such a far-off town.

Listening

Reading

Read and translate the text.

The Internet

The Internet is a huge network of computers. Public Internet began in the late  70’s. The Internet is very helpful, because it is a huge database of knowledge. Everyone should have the Internet as a means of communication. Besides data one can get from the Internet, we can also send and receive e- mail. This internet service is cheaper than ordinary mail and much quicker. It is becoming popular day by day. We can get some news from the Internet, because there are many informational services in the web. For this we can get use different search programmes such as the google search programme, rambler search programme, yandex search programme or yahoo search programme. They are very simple and popular networks of sites. (123 words)

Answer the questions:

a) What is the Internet?

b) When did public Internet appear?

c) In what way can the Internet be useful to everyone?

d) What can you say about advantages of the e- mail?

e) What search programs do you know? Which one do you use?

Speaking

a) Answer the questions

What percentage of people in the world uses the Internet? How did the Internet get stated? How popular is it compared to TV? What do people use the Internet for? What are the most popular websites?

b) Which of the activities do you use the Internet for?

Discuss this problem in pairs. Example: A: I like all the celebrity websites. I read all the latest news and gossip about my favorite celebrities. B: I like kids.org; it has information on just about everything. A: I use Wikipedia to gather research for my homework B: I also go to English.com for help with my English.

(I use the Internet to check emails.My mum uses it to get product and service information.  My dad checks the weather on the Internet. My brother and I look up entertainment events…)

Tasks for self-study

Read the text. Using the information from the text speak about your attitude to the Internet.

As soon as I get home from school I start up my computer. First of all I log on to the Internet and go to “Odnoklassniki” to see if anyone has sent me any messages. Then I go to chat rooms and I can spend there the whole day.

Ok, I admit it; I am a computer-addict. Personally I don’t think it is a problem. I am too busy to go to any stupid seminars. I’ve got web-sites to check and e-mail to send. The Internet is a strange and wonderful place. You can find here huge amounts of information for school, work and just for fun.

Besides, I don’t want to waste time: while chatting online with my friends I search for some useful information for my school projects or read books online.

I don’t go anywhere except school, because I don’t have enough time. I never spend my free time out-of-doors, because all my friends live far from me and we spend our weekends together in the virtual world. It’s fun, you know.

I log on literally until I am physically unplugged by someone else. I can’t work or live without it.

Oh, sorry, I can’t go on talking to you: my friend from New York asks for help…

Grammar exercise

Translate the second conditional sentences into English.

1. Если бы я был актером, я бы ненавидел это.

2. Я была бы очень признательна, если бы Вы дали мне какую-нибудь чистую тряпочку, чтобы завязать палец.

3. Билли злился бы еще больше, если бы Моли не заплакала.

4. Если бы даже я и была влюблена в Грега, то вы были бы последним человеком, которому бы я призналась.

5. У нас было бы даже больше шансов, будь мы на острове

6. Во всем можно было бы разобраться, если бы люди говорили бы друг с другом.

7. Убийца бы даже сильно удивился, если бы полицейские не вели за ним пристального наблюдения

8. Может, Катя была бы добрее к мужчине, будь он её родственником.

Module 2 Unit 14

THE ROLE AND PLACE OF MASS MEDIA IN MODERN LIFE