Como digo em inglês: se tivesse acontecido isso, eu faria aquilo

By Ana | Podcast Inglês Online

Dec 14
Como digo em inglês se tivesse acontecido isso, eu faria aquilo

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Hi, everyone. How are you?

Hoje no podcast Inglês Online falamos sobre o terceiro condicional, ou como dizer “Se alguém tivesse me falado, eu teria ido” e coisas assim em inglês.

Transcrição

Hi, everyone. How have you been? Today we have a new episode of the inglesonline podcast. To download or just listen to other episodes and download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and click Podcast Inglesonline.

So how about we practice a very nice structure in English? Just for your reference, it’s called “the third conditional” but don’t worry about that. Let me establish the setting: we’re talking about past events, and about possibilities in the past. This is the basic structure:

If something had happened, something else would have happened.

In Portuguese, we would say something like “Ah, se tal coisa fosse assim, isso não teria acontecido” or “Se tal coisa tivesse sido de tal jeito, eu teria ido”. Just two general examples… So again, the basic structure in English is “If something had happened, something else would have happened”. As another grammar reference, here we’re using the “past participle” of the verbs. When we say “If something had happened…”, happened is the participle of happen. When we say “I would have taken…”, taken is the participle of “take”.

I don’t wanna focus on specific verbs, though. I’m going to use common, well-known verbs in the examples because what I really want to practice with you guys is how to express the idea of the 3rd Conditional. So picture this: you’re out with three of your best friends from school. The four of you have been friends for years. So you’re all, let’s say, at an ice cream parlor, enjoying your favorite ice cream, when all of a sudden another friend from high school walks up to your table. Let’s say her name is Sarah. Sarah is chatting with you and your friends and then she tells you that Michael, another classmate, was in the hospital for a month. He was just released last week.

You and your friends are suprised! ‘Cause you’re all good friends with Michael, and yet this is the first time you’ve heard about Michael being in the hospital.

  • You say “Wow, if Michael had called me, I would have paid him a visit”
  • Your friend Anna says “Lily is Michael’s girlfriend, and I see her every day at the club! If she had told me about Michael, I would have given him a call”
  • Your friend Lisa says “Michael’s dad lives in my building! If  he had told me about Michael, I would have sent him a get-well message!”
  • And your friend Melissa says “Well, if I had known Michael was in the hospital… I would have called you guys and we would have all paid him a visit together”

So what are you guys saying? You and your friends are all saying what you would have done, if you had known about Michael. If someone had called you, or if someone had told you about Michael being in the hospital, you guys would have gone for a visit. You guys would have paid him a visit, or maybe you would have at least sent him a card, or given him a call! But you didn’t know, no one told you about Michael, so you didn’t visit him at the hospital, you didn’t send him a card, nothing.

Here’s another one: you’re a student, and one of your classmates tells you that someone found a gold necklace in the science lab this morning. Here are a few thoughts you might have upon hearing about the gold necklace:

  • If I had known about the necklace, I would have searched the science lab!
  • If I had been to the lab and found the necklace, I would have tried to contact the owner.
  • If I had been to the lab and seen this necklace, I would have done nothing.
  • If I had seen the necklace lying around in the lab, I would have called the police.

Imagine you’re the student and someone told you there was a gold necklace in the lab, or in your classroom this morning. If you had found it, what would you have done? Talk to you next time.

 

Glossary

establish the setting = definir o cenário

get-well message = mensagem de “melhore, fique melhor”

upon hearing about the gold necklace = ao ficar sabendo do/sobre o colar de ouro

lying around in the lab = (jogado ou em algum lugar) ali no laboratório

Ana
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leggings today 23/08/2014

Hi to every body, it’s my first pay a quick visit of this blog;
this weblog carries awesome and actually excellent information for visitors.

DEBORA 21/12/2011

olá Ana Luiza, Meu nome é Débora , e eu gostaria de fazer um curso com vcs de nivel intermediário, o que vc me recomendaria?
Preciso começar o mais rápido possível.
Obrigada

    Ana 21/12/2011

    Oi Debora – no momento não tenho intermediário, mas o básico é muito forte e chega no pré-inter. Se quiser dê uma olhadinha!

Elaine 19/12/2011

Ana Luiza,

bom dia!

Faz um tempo que sou cadastrada no seu blog, e adoro todas as dicas recebidas.

Se não for incômodo, eu gostaria de uma ajuda. Tenho dúvida se devo continuar ou não estudando em escola.

Comecei a fazer inglês em 07/2008 na Wizard. Na época, a empresa tinha convênio com uma unidade e como precisava por causa do trabalho e também tive alguns apuros na faculdade, resolvi iniciar. Adorei o método deles, pois fugia de escolas que tentam “socar” gramática. Sempre dei preferência para aquela que mesclasse um pouco. Fiquei com eles até 12/2009.

Depois tentei professor particular que dava aulas individuais na empresa, por indicação de um colega. Fiquei 3 a 4meses (01 a 04/2010). Os seis meses seguintes (até 11/2011) tentei estudar sozinha, assistindo filmes, lendo gibis, pequenos livros e histórias, e claro, “devorando” as dicas recebidas do Inglês on line, Tecla Sap, Inglês na Ponta da Lingua, English Experts. nota: mesmo durante o período na escola ou com o professor particular, os sites de vocês sempre me ajudaram. Lembro-me que uma vez, recebi uma dica que, pelo menos 30min/dia, ajudam muito.

No início deste ano retornei a Wizard e permaneci até este mês. A escola, claro, (favorável para eles) me cobrou fazer matrícula para o próximo ano. Com eles, iria para o livro 7, o que eles chama de pós intermediário.

Estou em dúvida se devo ou não renovar. Minha namorada me disse que, acha que eu não precise mais frequentar uma escola para continuar com o inglês, pois eu tenho materiais suficientes para tocar sozinha ou continuar na escola.

Eu pretendo viajar para a Irlanda em breve. Será que já tenho um inglês “legal” de sobrevivência? Você pode me ajudar?

obrigada
Elaine Santos

    Ana 09/01/2012

    Oi Elaine,
    Assim apenas lendo seu email, eu faria 2 coisas:
    – intensificaria o listening compreensivel ao máximo (leia minhas dicas “como falar inglês” ali pela barra lateral)
    – tendo a base que o listening dá, procuraria alguém pra falar, pois isso vai quebrando inibição/insegurança. Se vc tiver uma base muito boa de input (se sua aquisição tiver sido forte), talvez vc sinta quando chegar lá que não está entendendo muito e/ou travando, mas com um tempo se solta e começa a botar pra fora o que vc adquiriu. Agora, se aqui no Brasil vc já puder cuidar da parte de quebrar uma possível barreira emocional, etc… vá em frente. OK?

@julianinhamatos 17/12/2011

Well, if I had been in Science lab today and found a gold necklace, I think I would have delivered it for the principal. Would you have done this?

If I had had Ana as my English teacher on high school, I would have learned English earlier.
If I had a boyfriend, maybe I would have gained at least nice flowers in Valentine’s day.
If I had bought a mp3 player last year, I’d have improved my listening skills more. So, now buying a mp3 is one of my resolutions for New Year. Right, Ana?! =D

    Ana 18/12/2011

    Juli- adorei seus exemplos :) Right! I’d recommend an mp3 player to anyone involved in learning (and teaching) a language.

    P.S. em vez de “gained” ali no exemplo, use received ou gotten.

      @julianinhamatos 20/12/2011

      Thanks! =D

amanda 17/12/2011

That’s great aAna! your explanation was very clear! thanks!

Cláudia Oliver 16/12/2011

If I had studied English when I was young, I would have learned much more.

If I had found this website before, I would have improved my vocabulary.

Jeff 15/12/2011

If I had been to the lab and found the necklace, I would have kept in the pocket! (brinks)

Just an example :P

Ótima dica! Adorei.

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