Three Step English - Learn #5 - Talking About What Ifs in English - Learn
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Do you know how to talk about what ifs in English? Hi, my name is Alisha and this is 3 Step English by EnglishClass101.com. In this lesson, you'll learn talking about what ifs in English through a quick conversation. Let's look at the dialogue. As you listen, pay attention to how they ask about the topic and how the other person responds. Let's go to 10,000 lanes after this. But is it even open? Could you check?

Their site says it's open until midnight. How crowded is it? When I go there, it's always crowded. If it's crowded, we'll go somewhere else. Could you call ahead? Let's go over the dialogue again, more slowly this time. Let's go to 10,000 lanes after this. But is it even open? Could you check? Their site says it's open until midnight. How crowded is it? When I go there, it's always crowded.

If it's crowded, we'll go somewhere else. Could you call ahead? Let's focus on the key part of the conversation. This person is asking this person whether the place they are planning to go is crowded. The person they're asking doesn't know. So they say, "If it's crowded, we'll go somewhere else." If it's crowded sets a condition.

In a situation where it, 10,000 lanes, is crowded, then a result will happen. We'll go somewhere else is the result. Will is a contraction of we will. It shows that the two will go somewhere else if it is crowded. You can also swap the clauses without changing the meaning. For example, we will go somewhere else if it is crowded. Now, let's look at some speaking examples.

If you all don't hurry, I'll just go ahead. Can you see how the pattern applies here? The sentence starts with "if" and then "don't" is the present simple verb. Note that, unlike in the dialogue, the entire contraction of "don't" is considered as the verb. That's because in the dialogue, the contractions were combining pronouns with verbs, like "we'll" being "we" plus "will."

In the case of don't, it combines do and not. Here, do is the verb, and not changes it to the negative form. After that, we have another contraction of a pronoun and verb in I'll, which is I plus will. Will is the modal verb, and just go ahead is the action they'll take in this what-if situation. Next. If they put us near the smoking section, I'll ask to move.

If they put us near the smoking section, I'll ask to move. Let's try one last example. If it looks like rain, I'll bring an umbrella. If it looks like rain, I'll bring an umbrella. Let's review. Using the sentence pattern we learned, do you know how the words should be ordered? If. If you. If.

If you just... If you just study... If you just study, you'll... If you just study, you'll pass. If you just study, you'll pass. Let's review. Using the sentence pattern we learned, do you know how the words should be ordered? If... If they...

If they save money, they'll take a trip.

Thank you for watching. Now you know how to talk about what ifs in English. And now you can move on to the practice.