Session 2: Survival choices
Objectives
- Use second conditional (If I were..., I would...)
- Compare options
- Justify a decision
To imagine a difficult choice and justify my decision, we need the words of decisions (risk, choice, trust, sacrifice, consequence) and the second conditional (If I were you, I would hide).
Warm-up
Desert island game: you can carry only three objects. Which ones and why?
Documents
Dilemma table
| Situation | Option A | Option B | Your choice and reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| A stranger knocks, asking for food | open and share | stay silent | |
| A friend has a small bite | keep them with the group | isolate them in a safe room | |
| Two routes | the motorway: fast but crowded | the forest: slow but quiet | |
| Supplies for three days | eat normally | ration to make them last a week |
Object ranking table
| Object | Use | Score /5 |
|---|---|---|
| first aid kit | treat wounds | |
| torch | see at night | |
| rope | climb, tie | |
| radio | get news | |
| bicycle | silent transport |
Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| risk | possible danger |
| choice | a decision between options |
| justify | give reasons for |
| stranger | a person you do not know |
| share | give part of what you have |
| trust | believe someone is honest |
| sacrifice | give up something for others |
| consequence | result of an action |
Grammar lesson: the second conditional: If I were..., I would...
For the teacher: how to run it (8 to 10 minutes)
- Ask: a stranger knocks and asks for food. What would you do? Write two answers on the board.
- Build the pattern: If + past simple, would + base verb. Underline that the situation is imaginary.
- Add were for all persons, and I would rather ... than.
- Quick check, then exercises, then the dilemma table and the debate.
Rule
Use the second conditional for an imaginary situation in the present or the future and its result. The past tense after if does not mean the past: it means “not real”.
Form
- If + past simple, would + base verb: If a stranger knocked, I would open.
- If I were (all persons, formal): If I were you, I would hide.
- could / might instead of would: We could take the forest route.
- The if-clause can come second, without a comma: I would open if he looked healthy.
Use
- To compare options in the dilemma table.
- To give advice: If I were you, I would ...
- To say a preference: I would rather ... than ...
Examples from the lesson
- If I were you, I would hide.
- If we shared our food, we would have less.
- We would take the forest route if the motorway were blocked.
- I would rather ration food than run out.
Common mistakes
- Not
If I would have a bicycle, I would go faster., but If I had a bicycle, I would go faster. - Not
If I am the leader, I would ration., but If I were the leader, I would ration. - Not
I would to share., but I would share. - Not
I would rather to stay., but I would rather stay.
Quick check (2 minutes, hands up or mini whiteboards)Complete with the second conditional.
- If a stranger (knock), I (open).
- If I (be) the leader, I (ration) food.
- We (take) the forest if the motorway (be) blocked.
Show the answers
1. knocked, would open. 2. were, would ration. 3. would take, were.
Exercises
EntryRecognition. Is the situation real and possible (1st conditional) or imaginary (2nd)?
- If the radio stops, we will use the walkie-talkies.
- If I were a zombie, I would hate stairs.
- If we had a boat, we would cross the lake.
- If it rains, we will collect the water.
- If my friend was bitten, I would stay with him.
- If we leave now, we will arrive before night.
Show the answers
1. 1st. 2. 2nd. 3. 2nd. 4. 1st. 5. 2nd. 6. 1st.
CoreGap-fill. Put the verbs in the second conditional.
- If a stranger (ask) for food, I (share) a little.
- If I (be) you, I (not / open) the door.
- We (go) faster if we (have) bicycles.
- If my friend (have) a bite, I (isolate) him in a safe room.
- If the supplies (last) only three days, we (ration) them.
- I (trust) him if he (tell) the truth.
- If you (can) choose one object, which one (you / take)?
Show the answers
1. asked, would share. 2. were, would not open. 3. would go, had. 4. had, would isolate. 5. lasted, would ration. 6. would trust, told. 7. could, would you take.
StretchProduction. Answer three dilemmas of the table in three sentences each: your choice (2nd conditional), the reason, the consequence.
Show the answers
For example: If a stranger knocked, I would share a little food. I would do it because he might be a survivor like us. The consequence would be fewer supplies, so we would ration them.
Going further (for students heading to language studies)Advanced. Mixed conditionals and inversion. Rewrite and explain.
- We didn't leave earlier, so we are in danger now. (mixed)
- If I were in charge, I would change the plan. (inversion with Were)
- If we hadn't taken the forest, we wouldn't be safe now. (explain the tenses)
Show the answers
1. If we had left earlier, we wouldn't be in danger now. 2. Were I in charge, I would change the plan. 3. The if-clause is about the past (past perfect), the result about now (would + base verb): a mixed conditional links a past choice to a present situation.
Words in action
EntryMatch: risk, trust, sacrifice, consequence.
- give up something for others
- a possible danger
- the result of an action
- believe someone is honest
Show the answers
1. sacrifice. 2. risk. 3. consequence. 4. trust.
CoreComplete with: ration, isolate, share, justify. We must ______ our food. We could ______ the friend with a bite. I would ______ my water. ______ your answer!
Show the answers
ration, isolate, share, Justify.
StretchExplain the difference between a risk and a consequence with one dilemma.
Show the answers
A risk is a danger that may happen (the stranger might be infected). A consequence is what happens because of a choice (if we open, we will have less food).
Activities
- Complete the dilemma table alone, then compare in groups.
- Grammar: If I were you, I would hide. If we shared our food, we would have less.
- Debate in groups of four: agree on one answer for each dilemma.
- Extension B2: use mixed conditionals: If we had gone earlier, we would be safe now.
More activities
- If a stranger ______ (knock), I would open.
- If I ______ (be) the leader, I would ration food.
- We ______ (take) the forest route if the motorway were blocked.
- Give two reasons to share food.
- Correct: If I would have a bicycle, I would go faster.
Corrigé of the exercises
- knocked
- were
- would take
- to make an ally, because it is humane
- If I had a bicycle, I would go faster.
Sentence starters
- If I were in that situation, I would...
- I would rather... than...
- The main risk is...
- That is why I would...
Role play
Groups of three: each student defends a different option for the same dilemma, then the group votes.
Figures of speech in the documents
Dilemma table: “the motorway: fast but crowded” / “the forest: slow but quiet”
Each route is described with two opposite qualities, and the two routes oppose each other: fast / slow, crowded / quiet. Putting opposites side by side is an antithesis. It makes the dilemma visible: every advantage has a cost.
EntryFind the two pairs of opposites.
Show the answers
fast / slow; crowded / quiet.
CoreWrite the dilemma of the supplies as an antithesis.
Show the answers
For example: eat normally: full today, hungry tomorrow; ration: hungry today, alive next week.
StretchWrite a slogan for your group with an antithesis.
Show the answers
For example: Slow and alive beats fast and lost.
Gap-fill worksheet
- Every option has a ______.
- You must make a ______.
- Always ______ your answer.
- A ______ knocks at the door.
- Will you ______ your food?
- Can we ______ him?
- Giving up something for others is a ______.
- Every decision has a ______.
Answer key
- risk
- choice
- justify
- stranger
- share
- trust
- sacrifice
- consequence
Expression task
Debate in groups of four: agree on one answer for each dilemma, then present your choices.
EntryOne dilemma: your choice with “If I were ..., I would ...” and one reason.
CoreThree dilemmas, each with a second conditional, a reason and a consequence.
StretchUse a mixed conditional, I would rather ... than, and an antithesis.
Tools to use:
- risk, choice, trust, sacrifice, consequence
- If + past, would + verb; I would rather
- but, because, so
Show a model answer
If a stranger knocked, we would open, but only through the window, because he might be a survivor. If our friend had a small bite, we would isolate him in a safe room: it is hard, but it would protect the group. We would rather take the forest than the motorway: slow and quiet is better than fast and crowded. Finally, we would ration our supplies, so they would last a week.
Assessment grid
| Criteria | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comparison of options | Rarely | Sometimes | Mostly | Always and precisely |
| Conditionals | Many errors | Some errors | Mostly correct | Correct and varied |
| Justification | No reason | One reason | Two reasons | Developed and nuanced |
Terminale LV1 · C1/C2 extension track
For strong or anglophone students. Survival choices are tested against political philosophy.
Extended extract
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, 1651, chapter XIII (public domain)
Critical analysis
- What does Hobbes mean by 'such condition'?
- Why does the list end on 'short'? Analyse the rhythm.
- Do zombie stories confirm or contradict Hobbes?
Nuanced vocabulary
| Word or phrase | Meaning and use |
|---|---|
| state of nature | life before any government or law |
| social contract | the agreement by which people accept rules for safety |
| brutish | savage, like an animal |
| arguably | to present a view as defensible but open to debate |
| to hinge on | to depend entirely on |
Argued writing (C1: 300 words · C2: 400 words)
Debate
Homework
Choose one dilemma and write your answer (120 words, three conditionals).