English Course · Level 4 (B1+) · Week 1 of 12

Decisions and Regrets

Grammar: Third conditional — If I had…, I would have…

This week's plan

Day	Learn	Listen / Watch	Practise
Day 1	Words: Making decisions · Sentences 1–2	BBC 6 Minute English: “Is rejection good for us?” (podcast)	Exercise 1
Day 2	Words: Regrets · Sentences 3–4	British Council: “Making a decision” (listening)	Exercise 2
Day 3	Words: Choices and risks · Sentences 5–6	VOA Learning English: “Past Unreal Conditionals” (audio)	Exercise 3
Day 4	Words: Consequences · Sentences 7–8	TED-Ed: “The psychology behind irrational decisions” (video) + British Council: “Conditionals: third and mixed” (grammar)	Exercise 4
Day 5	Words: Feelings after a decision · Sentences 9–10	TED-Ed: “How to make smart decisions more easily” (video)	Write & Speak
Day 6	Review all 30 words + 10 sentences	BBC 6 Minute English: “Optimists vs Pessimists” (podcast)	Redo mistakes
Day 7	Free day ☺	BBC 6 Minute English: “Are you following your dreams?” (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 · Making decisions

make a decisionيتخذ قرارًا
weigh up the optionsيوازن بين الخيارات
on the spur of the momentفجأة / من غير تفكير
hesitateيتردد
a turning pointنقطة تحوّل
think it overيفكر في الأمر مليًّا

Set 2 · Regrets

regretيندم / ندم
miss a chanceتفوته فرصة / يضيّع فرصة
a missed opportunityفرصة ضائعة
look back onيتذكر / ينظر إلى الماضي
in hindsightبالنظر إلى ما حدث / بعد فوات الأوان
with no regretsدون ندم

Set 3 · Choices and risks

a leap of faithمجازفة مبنية على الثقة / قفزة في المجهول
play it safeيلعب على المضمون
a tough choiceاختيار صعب
torn betweenحائر بين (خيارين)
a gut feelingإحساس داخلي
go for itيُقدِم على الأمر / يعملها

Set 4 · Consequences

as a resultنتيجةً لذلك
end upينتهي به الأمر إلى
lead toيؤدي إلى
affectيؤثر في
a consequenceعاقبة / نتيجة
backfireيأتي بنتيجة عكسية

Set 5 · Feelings after a decision

relievedمرتاح / مطمئن
disappointedخائب الأمل / محبَط
thrilledسعيد جدًا / فرحان جدًا
ashamed ofيشعر بالخجل من / مكسوف من
at peace withمتصالح مع
devastatedمنهار / محطَّم نفسيًا

10 sentences to memorise

1If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.لو كنت ذاكرت بجدٍّ أكبر، لكنت نجحت في الامتحان.
2If we had left earlier, we wouldn't have missed the train.لو كنا غادرنا مبكرًا، لما فاتنا القطار.
3I took a risk and moved to Cairo, and it was a turning point in my life.خاطرت وانتقلت إلى القاهرة، وكانت تلك نقطة تحوّل في حياتي.
4In hindsight, it was the right decision.بالنظر إلى ما حدث، كان ذلك هو القرار الصحيح.
5Would you have accepted the job if they had offered you more money?هل كنت ستقبل الوظيفة لو عرضوا عليك راتبًا أكبر؟
6If Omar hadn't helped me, I would have been in serious trouble.لو لم يساعدني عمر، لكنت وقعت في مشكلة كبيرة.
7I need some time to think it over before I decide.أحتاج إلى بعض الوقت لأفكر في الأمر قبل أن أقرر.
8She hesitated for too long and missed a great chance.ترددت طويلًا ففاتتها فرصة رائعة.
9We weighed up the pros and cons and decided to stay.وازنّا بين المزايا والعيوب وقررنا البقاء.
10I have no regrets — I'd make the same decision again.لست نادمًا؛ كنت سأتخذ القرار نفسه مرة أخرى.

Grammar: Third conditional — If I had…, I would have…

Third conditional = an imagined past (it did NOT happen): If + past perfect, would have + past participle.

If I had known, I would have come. (= I didn't know, so I didn't come.)

نستخدمه للكلام عن ماضٍ لم يحدث ونتيجته المتخيَّلة، ولذلك نستخدمه كثيرًا للتعبير عن الندم أو اللوم. الخطأ الشائع عند المتعلمين العرب هو ترجمة «لو كنت أعرف» حرفيًا فيقولون If I would have known، أو يستخدمون If I knew لأمر انتهى في الماضي. الصحيح: If I had known… ولا نضع would أبدًا بعد if. وانتبه: 'd قد تعني had (بعد if) أو would (في جملة النتيجة): If I'd known, I'd have come.

If-clause (past perfect)	Result (would / could / might have + p.p.)	What really happened
If I had seen you,	I would have said hello.	I didn't see you.
If she hadn't missed the bus,	she wouldn't have been late.	She missed the bus and was late.
If they had asked me,	I could have helped them.	They didn't ask me.
If it had rained,	we might have stayed at home.	It didn't rain.

Question: What would you have done if you had lost your job?

would have = sure result · could have = possible result · might have = maybe.

Short forms: If I'd (= had) known, I'd (= would) have come. Never: If I would have known…

Exercises

Exercise 1 · Complete with the correct form of the verbs (third conditional).

1) If you ___ (tell) me, I ___ (help) you.
2) If we ___ (not take) a taxi, we ___ (miss) the flight.
3) Nour ___ (not get) the job if she ___ (not prepare) well.
4) If I ___ (know) about the traffic, I ___ (leave) earlier.
5) What ___ you ___ (do) if the bank ___ (refuse) your loan?
6) If he ___ (be) more careful, he ___ (not lose) his phone.

Show the answers

1) had told · would have helped 2) hadn't taken · would have missed 3) wouldn't have got · hadn't prepared 4) had known · would have left 5) would … have done · had refused 6) had been · wouldn't have lost

Exercise 2 · Correct the mistake.

1) If I would have known, I would have come.
2) If she had studied, she would pass the exam last year.
3) If we hadn't been late, we would have catch the train.
4) If you had asked me, I will have helped you.
5) If he has saved money, he would have bought a car.
6) I would have called you if I had have your number.

Show the answers

1) If I had known, I would have come. 2) …she would have passed the exam last year. 3) …we would have caught the train. 4) …I would have helped you. 5) If he had saved money, he would have bought a car. 6) …if I had had your number.

Exercise 3 · Rewrite using the third conditional.

1) I didn't set an alarm, so I overslept.
2) It rained, so the match was cancelled.
3) Mona hesitated, so she missed the chance.
4) We didn't book early, so the tickets were expensive.
5) They took a risk, so they made a lot of money.
6) Ahmed didn't revise, so he failed the test.

Show the answers

1) If I had set an alarm, I wouldn't have overslept. 2) If it hadn't rained, the match wouldn't have been cancelled. 3) If Mona hadn't hesitated, she wouldn't have missed the chance. 4) If we had booked early, the tickets wouldn't have been (so) expensive. 5) If they hadn't taken a risk, they wouldn't have made a lot of money. / If they had played it safe, they wouldn't have made a lot of money. 6) If Ahmed had revised, he wouldn't have failed the test.

Exercise 4 · Translate into English.

1) لو كنت عرفت رقمك أمس، لكنت اتصلت بك.
2) لو لم نتأخر، لما فاتنا الفيلم.
3) ماذا كنت ستفعل لو خسرت وظيفتك؟
4) فكرت في الأمر مليًّا واتخذت قرارًا.
5) بالنظر إلى ما حدث، كانت تلك فرصة ضائعة.

Show the answers

1) If I had known your number yesterday, I would have called you. / If I'd known your number yesterday, I'd have called you. 2) If we hadn't been late, we wouldn't have missed the film. 3) What would you have done if you had lost your job? 4) I thought it over and made a decision. / I thought about it carefully and made a decision. 5) In hindsight, it was a missed opportunity. / Looking back, it was a missed opportunity.

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

Write & Speak

Write & Speak — “A decision that changed my life”: write 150–200 words about an important decision. Say what happened and how you felt, and use at least four third conditional sentences. Then tell the story aloud without reading.

Example: Five years ago, I made a decision that changed my life. I was working in a bank in Mansoura, and the job was safe but boring. One day, a friend told me about a job at a tourism company in Luxor. The salary was lower and my parents were worried, so I hesitated for weeks. In the end, I weighed up the pros and cons, followed my gut feeling and went for it. It was a turning point. In Luxor I used English every day, and I became much more confident. I also met my wife there! If I hadn't taken that risk, I would never have met her. If I had stayed at the bank, I might have earned more money, but I wouldn't have been happy. And if my friend hadn't called me that day, I would have missed the best opportunity of my life. Of course, the first months were difficult, and sometimes I felt frustrated. But looking back on it now, I have no regrets. I am proud of my decision, and I would make it again.