English Course · Level 4 (B1+) · Week 2 of 12
Life Lessons
Grammar: Mixed conditionals · unless / provided that / as long as
This week's plan
| Day | Learn | Listen / Watch | Practise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Words: Learning from experience · Sentences 1–2 | BBC 6 Minute English: “What can we learn from toddlers?” (podcast) | Exercise 1 |
| Day 2 | Words: Values · Sentences 3–4 | TED: Robert Waldinger, “What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness” (video) | Exercise 2 |
| Day 3 | Words: Facing problems · Sentences 5–6 | BBC 6 Minute Grammar: “Conditionals review” (podcast) | Exercise 3 |
| Day 4 | Words: Conditions · Sentences 7–8 | VOA Learning English: “Just in Case You Don't Use 'If'...” (audio) + BBC 6 Minute English: “The benefits of boredom” (podcast) | Exercise 4 |
| Day 5 | Words: People who shape us · Sentences 9–10 | TED-Ed: “How to practice effectively...for just about anything” (video) | Write & Speak |
| Day 6 | Review all 30 words + 10 sentences | British Council: “An informal email to a friend” (writing) | Redo mistakes |
| Day 7 | Free day ☺ | BBC 6 Minute English: “What’s the key to happiness?” (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 · Learning from experience
- learn the hard wayيتعلم بالطريقة الصعبة
- a valuable lessonدرس قيّم
- from experienceمن التجربة / بالخبرة
- wisdomحكمة
- matureناضج
- grow upيكبر / ينضج
Set 2 · Values
- honestyالصدق / الأمانة
- patienceالصبر
- respectالاحترام / يحترم
- keep your wordيفي بوعده
- be true to yourselfيكون صادقًا مع نفسه
- set an exampleيكون قدوة / يضرب مثلًا
Set 3 · Facing problems
- faceيواجه
- overcomeيتغلب على
- cope withيتعامل مع / يتحمّل
- give upيستسلم
- get throughيجتاز / يعدّي
- bounce backيتعافى بسرعة / يرجع أقوى
Set 4 · Conditions
- unlessما لم / إلا إذا
- provided thatبشرط أن
- as long asطالما / بشرط أن
- otherwiseوإلا
- in caseتحسُّبًا لـ / احتياطًا
- even ifحتى لو
Set 5 · People who shape us
- a role modelقدوة
- a mentorمرشد / موجّه
- inspireيُلهِم
- eldersكبار السن / الكبار
- influenceيؤثر في / تأثير
- look up toيحترم ويقتدي بـ
10 sentences to memorise
- 1If I had listened to my father, I wouldn't be in this situation now.لو كنت استمعت إلى أبي، لما كنت في هذا الموقف الآن.
- 2If I were more patient, I wouldn't have shouted at him yesterday.لو كنت أكثر صبرًا، لما صرخت في وجهه أمس.
- 3I learnt the hard way that money isn't everything.تعلمت بالطريقة الصعبة أن المال ليس كل شيء.
- 4You won't succeed unless you keep trying.لن تنجح ما لم تستمر في المحاولة.
- 5You can borrow my car as long as you drive carefully.يمكنك استعارة سيارتي طالما تقودها بحذر.
- 6I'll help you, provided that you tell me the truth.سأساعدك بشرط أن تخبرني بالحقيقة.
- 7My grandmother was my role model; I always looked up to her.كانت جدتي قدوتي؛ كنت دائمًا أحترمها وأقتدي بها.
- 8Take an umbrella in case it rains.خذ مظلة تحسُّبًا لنزول المطر.
- 9Even if you fail, don't give up.حتى لو فشلت، لا تستسلم.
- 10Hard times teach us how to bounce back.الأوقات الصعبة تعلّمنا كيف ننهض من جديد.
Grammar: Mixed conditionals · unless / provided that / as long as
Mixed conditional 1 (past → present): If + past perfect, would + verb. If I had saved money, I would be rich now.
Mixed conditional 2 (present → past): If + past simple, would have + p.p. If I were braver, I would have said no.
unless = if … not · provided that / as long as = only if.
الشرط المختلط يربط زمنين: سبب في الماضي ونتيجة في الحاضر، أو صفة دائمة في الحاضر ونتيجة في الماضي. انظر إلى كلمات الزمن: now و today تعني would + الفعل، و yesterday و last year تعني would have + التصريف الثالث. أما unless فمعناها «إلا إذا / ما لم» وهي منفية بنفسها، فالخطأ الشائع أن نقول unless you don't come، والصحيح unless you come. وبعد unless و as long as و provided that نستخدم المضارع للمستقبل وليس will.
| Type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Past → present | If + had + p.p., would + verb | If I had taken that job, I would live in Dubai now. |
| Present → past | If + past simple, would have + p.p. | If I spoke English well, I would have got the job last month. |
| unless | = if … not | Unless you hurry, you'll be late. (= If you don't hurry …) |
| provided that / as long as | = only if | I'll come as long as I finish work early. |
Wrong: Unless you don't study, you'll fail. ✔ Unless you study, you'll fail.
Wrong: as long as you will help me ✔ as long as you help me.
in case = to be ready for something that may happen: Take water in case you get thirsty. (It is not the same as if.)
Exercises
Exercise 1 · Choose the correct form.
- 1) If I had learnt to swim as a child, I (would be / would have been) more confident in the sea now.
- 2) If she weren't so shy, she (would speak / would have spoken) at the meeting yesterday.
- 3) If Omar were more organised, he (wouldn't forget / wouldn't have forgotten) his passport last week.
- 4) If we had bought that flat, we (would live / would have lived) in Alexandria now.
- 5) If he didn't love his job, he (would leave / would have left) years ago.
- 6) If I hadn't eaten so much, I (wouldn't feel / wouldn't have felt) sick now.
Show the answers
Exercise 2 · Complete with unless, as long as, provided that, in case or even if.
- 1) You'll miss the bus ___ you leave now.
- 2) I'll lend you the money ___ you pay me back next month.
- 3) Write down my number ___ you need help.
- 4) I'll go to the wedding ___ it rains — nothing will stop me.
- 5) ___ you apologise, she won't talk to you.
- 6) You can stay out late ___ you call me first.
Show the answers
Exercise 3 · Correct the mistake.
- 1) Unless you don't hurry, we'll be late.
- 2) I'll help you as long as you will be honest.
- 3) If I had saved money, I would had a car now.
- 4) If I didn't hate crowds, I would go to the concert with you yesterday.
- 5) Provided that you will finish early, you can leave.
- 6) If he studied medicine ten years ago, he would be a doctor now.
Show the answers
Exercise 4 · Translate into English.
- 1) لو كنت قبلت ذلك العرض، لكنت أعيش في لندن الآن.
- 2) لن تتحسن لغتك الإنجليزية ما لم تمارسها كل يوم.
- 3) يمكنك الخروج طالما ترجع قبل منتصف الليل.
- 4) تعلمت من التجربة أن الصبر مهم.
- 5) حتى لو كان الأمر صعبًا، لا تستسلم.
Show the answers
Do each exercise in pencil first, then open the answers to check.
Write & Speak
Example: The best lesson life has taught me is that honesty always pays. When I was at university in Assiut, I worked part-time in a mobile phone shop. One evening, a customer paid me two hundred pounds too much. Nobody saw it, and I needed the money, but I ran after him and gave it back. He was so surprised that he thanked me again and again. A month later, the same man came back to the shop. He owned a big company, and he offered me a job because, as he said, he needed people he could trust. I still work there today. If I had kept that money, I wouldn't have this job now, and I would probably feel ashamed of myself. Life has taught me other lessons too, often the hard way, but this one was the easiest and the best. My advice is simple: be true to yourself and keep your word. People will trust you as long as you are honest with them, and unless you respect others, you can't expect them to respect you.