asking WHAT IF...? questions

Practising SECOND CONDITIONAL structure is a good excuse to talk with your students about their dreams and wishes but also to ask some most ridiculous WHAT IF...? questions which is always fun for me. Here is a short lesson plan how to do that. You start up with a simple grammar revision to make sure the students understand the structure and its usage. Then you follow to the speaking part. Enjoy.

WARM UP

Finish the sentences.

1. If we had an umbrella, ……………………………………………..
2. If I were taller, ……………………………………………………..
3. We would win the championship …………………………………..
4. She would buy herself a castle ……………………………………..
5. I would go on a diet ………………………………………………...
6. If you found a wallet plenty of money in the street, ……………….
7. The teacher would explain the lesson again, ……………………….
8. Would he speak English better …………………………………….?
9. I'd send you a postcard …………………………………………......
10. If I weren't so shy, …………………………………………………..             

DISCUSSION POINTS

You may start by asking some question to the whole group, gathering some answers and discussing them, e.g. 

• What would you do if a policeman arrested you?
• What would you do if you saw an elephant at your door?
• What would you do if you woke up as an old person?
• What would you do if you were the president of your country?

Then you may ask individual students to answer each one a different questions. You may also prepare the questions on separate pieces of paper and ask students to draw lots.

• What would you do if you could be invisible for a day?
• What would you do if you had 1 million dollars?
• What would you do if you could fly?
• What would you do if you saw a ghost in your bedroom?
• What would you do if you had a spaceship?
• What would you do if you saw a bear in the forest?
• What would you do if you could go anywhere you want?
• What would you do if you could be as small as an ant?
• What would you do if you were a superhero?
• What would you do if you were in an earthquake?
• What would you do if you could speak fluent English?
• What would you do if you had just one day to live?
• What would you do if you could hear other people's thoughts?
• What would you do if a stranger asked you to marry him/her?
• What would you do if you were very fat?
• What would you do if you could live forever?
• What would you do if you saw a building on fire?
• What would you do if you had one extra hour everyday?
• What would you do if there were no mobile phones in the world?
• What would you do if there were no electricity in the world?
• What would you do if a snake came out of your toilet?
• What would you do if you were bald?