English Course · Level 3 (B1) · Week 5 of 12

Money Matters

Grammar: Second conditional · If I had…, I would… · If I were you, I'd…

This week's plan

Day	Learn	Listen / Watch	Practise
Day 1	Words: Money verbs · Sentences 1–2	BBC 6 Minute Grammar: “The second conditional” (podcast)	Exercise 1
Day 2	Words: Banking · Sentences 3–4	BBC 6 Minute English: “Living with debt” (podcast)	Exercise 2
Day 3	Words: Shopping · Sentences 5–6	British Council: “Conditionals: zero, first and second” (grammar)	Exercise 3
Day 4	Words: Shopping phrasal verbs · Sentences 7–8	BBC 6 Minute English: “Why are prices going up?” (podcast) + VOA Everyday Grammar: “Introducing Conditionals” (audio)	Exercise 4
Day 5	Words: Talking about prices · Sentences 9–10	BBC 6 Minute English: “Should we pay more for chocolate?” (podcast)	Write & Speak
Day 6	Review all 30 words + 10 sentences	BBC 6 Minute English: “How green is your money?” (podcast)	Redo mistakes
Day 7	Free day ☺	BBC 6 Minute English: “The psychology of greed” (podcast)	Tick your tracker

30 minutes a day: review, learn, listen, practise, speak. Day 7 is a free day. Tap a resource to find it.

30 words to learn

Set 1 · Money verbs

affordيستطيع تحمّل تكلفة (شيء) / يقدر يدفع
save upيدّخر / يحوّش
spend money onينفق المال على / يصرف على
borrowيقترض / يستلف
lendيُقرض / يسلّف
oweيدين لـ / عليه فلوس لـ

Set 2 · Banking

bank accountحساب بنكي
cash machineماكينة صرّاف آلي / ATM
credit cardبطاقة ائتمان / كريديت كارد
loanقرض
interestفائدة
budgetميزانية

Set 3 · Shopping

bargainصفقة رابحة / لُقطة
discountخصم
the salesالتخفيضات / الأوكازيون
refundاسترداد المال
exchangeيستبدل / يبدّل
out of stockغير متوفّر / خلصان

Set 4 · Shopping phrasal verbs

try onيقيس / يجرّب (ملابس)
take backيُرجع (منتجًا للمحل)
pay backيردّ (الدَّين)
shop aroundيقارن الأسعار / يلفّ على المحلات
run out of (money)تنفد (نقوده) / فلوسه تخلص
cut down onيقلّل من

Set 5 · Talking about prices

reasonableمعقول
worth itيستاهل / يستحق ثمنه
a waste of moneyإهدار للمال / فلوس على الفاضي
a rip-offنصب / سعر مبالغ فيه جدًا
overpricedسعره أعلى من قيمته
brand-newجديد تمامًا / زيرو

10 sentences to memorise

1If I won the lottery, I would buy a flat by the sea.لو ربحت اليانصيب، لاشتريت شقة على البحر.
2If I were you, I'd shop around first.لو كنت مكانك، لقارنت الأسعار أولًا.
3I can't afford a new car, so I'm saving up.لا أستطيع تحمّل تكلفة سيارة جديدة، لذلك أدّخر المال.
4Could you lend me 200 pounds? I'll pay you back on Sunday.هل يمكنك أن تقرضني ٢٠٠ جنيه؟ سأردّها لك يوم الأحد.
5What would you do if you lost your job?ماذا كنت ستفعل لو فقدت وظيفتك؟
6These shoes were in the sales — they were a real bargain.كان هذا الحذاء في التخفيضات — كان صفقة رابحة حقًا.
7I'd like to take this back. Can I have a refund?أريد إرجاع هذا. هل يمكنني استرداد المال؟
8If I didn't have a credit card, I wouldn't spend so much.لو لم تكن لديّ بطاقة ائتمان، لما أنفقت كل هذا المال.
9Can I try this jacket on?هل يمكنني قياس هذه السترة؟
10We need to make a budget and cut down on eating out.نحتاج إلى وضع ميزانية والتقليل من الأكل خارج البيت.

Grammar: Second conditional · If I had…, I would… · If I were you, I'd…

If + past simple, would / wouldn't + verb = an imaginary or unlikely situation now or in the future.

If I were you, I'd… = giving advice.

«لو» في العربية تجعل كثيرًا من المتعلمين يقولون ✗ If I would have money أو ✗ If I will have money. القاعدة: بعد if نستخدم الماضي البسيط (had, lived, won) — والمعنى ليس ماضيًا بل خيالي الآن — و would في الجملة الأخرى فقط. وللنصيحة نقول دائمًا If I were you (حتى مع I). قارن: الشرط الأول (If it rains, I'll stay home) = شيء ممكن فعلًا، والشرط الثاني (If I lived in London, I'd…) = شيء غير حقيقي.

if-clause (past simple)	main clause (would + verb)
If I had more money,	I would travel more.
If she didn't work so hard,	she wouldn't be so tired.
If I were you,	I'd talk to the manager.

First conditional (real, possible)	Second conditional (imaginary)
If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay at home.	If I lived in London, I'd visit the museums every week. (I don't live there.)

✗ If I would have money, I would buy a car. ✓ If I had money, I would buy a car.

For advice say If I were you (not If I was you).

'd = would: I'd, she'd, we'd. could = would be able to: If I had time, I could help you.

The if-clause can come first (with a comma) or second (no comma): I'd buy it if it were cheaper.

Exercises

Exercise 1 · Complete with the second conditional.

1) If I ___ (have) more time, I ___ (learn) to cook.
2) She ___ (buy) that dress if it ___ (be) cheaper.
3) If we ___ (live) in Alexandria, we ___ (go) to the beach every weekend.
4) What ___ you ___ (do) if you ___ (find) a wallet in the street?
5) If he ___ (not spend) so much, he ___ (can) save up.
6) I ___ (not borrow) money if I ___ (not need) it.

Show the answers

1) had · would learn 2) would buy · were / was 3) lived · would go 4) would … do · found 5) didn't spend · could 6) wouldn't borrow · didn't need

Exercise 2 · First or second conditional? Choose the correct answer.

1) If it (rains / rained) tomorrow, we'll stay at home.
2) If you (pay / paid) by card, you'll get a 10% discount.
3) If I (am / were) a millionaire, I'd help poor families.
4) If she (gets / got) the job, she will move to Cairo.
5) If I knew the answer, I (will / would) tell you.
6) If we had a garden, we (would grow / will grow) our own vegetables.

Show the answers

1) rains 2) pay 3) were 4) gets 5) would 6) would grow

Exercise 3 · Give advice with “If I were you, I'd…”.

1) My phone is very old. (buy a new one)
2) I always run out of money at the end of the month. (make a budget)
3) This jacket is too expensive. (wait for the sales)
4) My new shoes are too small. (take them back)
5) I owe my brother a lot of money. (pay him back soon)

Show the answers

1) If I were you, I'd buy a new one. 2) If I were you, I'd make a budget. 3) If I were you, I'd wait for the sales. 4) If I were you, I'd take them back. 5) If I were you, I'd pay him back soon.

Exercise 4 · Translate into English.

1) لو كنت مكانك، لاشتريت الأرخص.
2) لو كان معي مال كافٍ، لسافرت حول العالم.
3) لا أستطيع تحمّل تكلفة هذا الهاتف.
4) هل يمكنني استرداد المال؟

Show the answers

1) If I were you, I'd buy the cheaper one. / If I were you, I would buy the cheapest one. 2) If I had enough money, I would travel around the world. / If I had enough money, I'd travel the world. 3) I can't afford this phone. 4) Can I have a refund? / Can I get my money back? / Could I get a refund?

Do each exercise in pencil first, then open the answers to check.

Write & Speak

Write & Speak — “If I won a million pounds…”: write 120–150 words. What would you buy, who would you help, and what wouldn't you change? Finish with one piece of money advice for a friend (If I were you, I'd…). Then ask three people “What would you do if you won a million pounds?”

Example: If I won a million pounds, the first thing I would do is pay back the money I owe my brother. Then I would buy a small flat for my parents in Sheikh Zayed, because they have lived in a rented flat all their lives. I wouldn't buy an expensive car, because I think it's a waste of money in Cairo traffic. If I had more money than I needed, I would help my neighbours' children with their school fees. I would also travel. I'd love to visit Japan and see Tokyo. However, I wouldn't stop working. If I didn't work, I would get bored very quickly. My friend Karim always runs out of money before the end of the month. Karim, if I were you, I'd make a budget, shop around before buying anything and cut down on eating out.