How I would do things differently

1 Match the words from the box with the definitions.

abroad • blow • gap year • invest tax return • travel blog

1 an official statement of how much you earn in a year

2 a period spent traveling or working usually between school and the university

3 in a foreign country

4 something you write and publish online about a journey

5 an informal way of saying to waste an opportunity or some money

6 put money back into a company to help it to grow

2 31 Listen to a businessman talking. Who is he talking to or about?

3 31 CERT Listen again and complete the text.

If he’d known he was going to start his own 1 , he’d have paid attention in 2 class.

He wishes he hadn’t wasted so much 3 when he was 4 . You never get it back.

If he hadn’t spent time 5 , he wouldn’t have written a 6 or started the company.

Had he realized he was going to spend a lot of time abroad, he would have learned some 7

If only he hadn’t blown his 21st 8 money, he would be able to invest it now.

Grammar: wish, if and if only, mixed and inverted conditionals

I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time when I was younger.

If only I hadn’t blown all my 21st birthday money, I would be able to invest it in my business. If I hadn’t spent time traveling, I probably wouldn’t have my gap year business now. Had I realized I was going to spend a lot of my time abroad, I would have learned some languages. We use wish and if only to express regret about the past. We use mixed conditionals to talk about both the past and the present. We can use an inversion instead of an if clause to sound a bit more more formal.

 Grammar reference p. 60

4 Choose the correct option (A, B or C).

1 If only I had enough money, I be sitting at home feeling sorry for myself.

A weren’t B wouldn’t C hadn’t

2 I wish I bought that winning lottery ticket!

A had B would C have

3 If we hadn’t spent the money, we be OK now.

A will B would C wouldn’t

4 If you taken out a loan, you wouldn’t owe the bank any interest.

A hadn’t B wouldn’t C will

5 the policeman not caught the thief, we would still be in danger.

A Had B Wish C If only

6 If I hadn’t stayed up so late last night, I so tired now!

A would be B wouldn’t be C hadn’t been

7 If he good Spanish, he would have accepted that job in Madrid.

A speaks B will speak C spoke

5 Critical Thinking Work in pairs. What do you regret more, the things you did or the things you didn’t do? Give each other some examples from your past experiences and consider how you could do things differently in the future.

First, second and third conditionals

1 Read the sentences and match the two halves of the rules.

If you save a little money each month, you will have enough to pay for your summer vacation. If you got a Saturday job, you would be able to afford new clothes.

If she had won the lottery, she would have left her job.

1 For first conditional,

2 For second conditional,

3 For third conditional, a n we use if + Past simple / would + base form. b n we use if + Past perfect / would have + Past participle c n we use if + Present simple / will + base form.

2 Use these prompts to write sentences in the First conditional.

1 you / go to bed early / feel better

2 you / use public transportation / save money and energy

3 she / stay in a hotel / be more comfortable

4 we get value for money / shop locally

5 they / help local economy / eat local produce

3 Use these prompts to write sentences in the Second conditional.

1 you / get good job / move to the city

2 you / learn Chinese / enjoy the trip to Beijing more

3 you / travel first-class / pay much more

4 you / meet famous people / go to Hollywood

5 I / go around the world / have a million dollars

4 Use these prompts to write sentences in the Third conditional.

1 pilot / fly lower / we / crash

2 I / born 200 years ago / not go to school

3 we / know / the hotel / be so expensive / stay in a tent

4 we / miss the flight / arrive fifteen minutes later

5 she / enjoy the voyage / had company wish, if and if only, mixed and inverted conditionals

5 Read the sentences and complete the rules.

I wish I had stayed home!

If only you hadn’t been so careless!

If I hadn’t lost my lottery ticket, I would be rich now.

Had the Black Friday sales lasted longer, I would have spent all my money.

I wish and if only are followed by the 1 . For mixed conditionals, we use if + Past perfect in the if clause and 2 + the base form in the main clause or if + Past simple in the if clause and would have + 3 in the main clause. For inverted conditionals, we invert the

4 and the subject and remove

6 Rewrite the sentences to express a regret.

1 I missed the flight because I didn’t read the ticket properly.

2 We didn’t book an appropriate hotel, and we regretted it.

3 Sadly, we didn’t take enough money with us!

4 Next time, listen to my advice and go to Spain for a vacation!

5 I never want to go on vacation with Lisa again.

7 Complete the sentences to make mixed and inverted conditionals.

1 I known they company had gone bust, I placed an order.

2 If I emigrated to Canada, my life be different now.

3 Had I you were coming, I have made you a meal.

4 she married Paulo, her life would really boring now.

5 They wouldn’t bought a car, if public transportation better, but it’s awful!

6 If you invited me to this party, I wouldn’t here, would I?

Round up

8 Complete the First, Second and Third conditional sentences with the correct form of the verbs in parentheses.

1 If the weather (be) cloudy, I (take) an umbrella. I’ll check the forecast later.

2 My life (be) very different, if I (be born) in the XIX century.

3 Imagine where you (travel), if you (win) a lot of money.

4 If I (miss) the ferry, I (catch) the next, but I got there in time.

5 If I (move) to America, I (live) in California, but that will never happen.

6 What you (do) if there (be) no train tickets left? Will you take the bus?