• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Verb moods and shifts in voice or mood). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. What is the mood of the verb in this sentence? The train leaves at noon. (subjunctive / conditional / indicative / imperative) → indicativePrompt: Is it a statement, a command, a question, a hypothetical, or a wish/demand?
2. Read the instructions carefully, and you should then answer every question. Which revision avoids the shift in mood? (Read the instructions carefully, and then answer every question. / The instructions should be read, and answer every question. / You read the instructions carefully, and answer every question! / Read the instructions carefully, and every question is answered.) → Read the instructions carefully, and then answer every question.Prompt: Look at the first verb. Is it active or passive? A command or a statement?
3. What is the mood of the verb in this sentence? Did anyone feed the cat? (interrogative / indicative / imperative / conditional) → interrogativePrompt: Is it a statement, a command, a question, a hypothetical, or a wish/demand?

• Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
• Share the objective: Conditionals (zero, first, second, third). Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Choose the verb form that completes the conditional sentence. If they ___ earlier, they would have caught the train.
• Step 1: Zero: if + present, present. First: if + present, will. Second: if + past, would. Third: if + had + participle, would have + participle.
• Step 2: It imagines a different past: if + had + participle, would have + participle (third conditional).
• Step 3: Put it back into the sentence and read it aloud: "If they had left earlier, they would have caught the train."
• Step 4: So the answer is: had left
• Answer: had left
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Choose the verb form that completes the conditional sentence. If she ___ harder, she will pass. (studied / would study / had studied / studies) → studiesPrompt: Is it always true, likely in the future, imagined now, or imagined about the past?
2. Choose the verb form that completes the conditional sentence. If I won a million dollars, I ___ a farm. (buy / would have bought / would buy / will buy) → would buyPrompt: Is it always true, likely in the future, imagined now, or imagined about the past?

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Choose the verb form that completes the conditional sentence. If I ___ you, I would apologise. (had been / were / will be / am) → werePrompt: Is it always true, likely in the future, imagined now, or imagined about the past?
2. Choose the verb form that completes the conditional sentence. If he had saved his work, he ___ it. (won't lose / wouldn't lose / doesn't lose / wouldn't have lost) → wouldn't have lostPrompt: Is it always true, likely in the future, imagined now, or imagined about the past?

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-8.