Hypothetical Situation
Lesson 7
Sometimes in part 2 of the speaking test you are asked to describe things that
involve a hypothetical situation.
If something is hypothetical, then it is an unreal situation in the future. It is
just an idea or imagined.
The grammar for this is connected to conditional type II 'if clauses'. Take a
look at this:
Question: If you won the lottery, what would you do?
Answer: I’d buy a large house in the countryside.
Of course the person has NOT won the lottery – so it is just an imagined or
unreal situation.
In the ‘if’ part of the clause, you’ll notice that the past simple (won) is used,
even though the imagined future is being referred to. ‘Would’ is used in the
second part.
For the IELTS task card, you'll just be seeing the 'would' part.
Take a look at this sample task 2 question:
Describe an interesting job you would like to have
You should say:
What the job is
Who normally does this job
What skills are needed for the job
Explain why you would like this job.
So when you talk about a hypothetical situation, you need to make sure you
use the correct grammar.
Remember that ‘I would…’ is usually shortened to ‘I’d…” when we are
speaking.
Take a look at this model answer. The uses of 'would' are in red.
Model Answer
I’m going to talk about a job I’d like to have.
Ok, if I could choose any job, it would be an air hostess. They are the people
who take care of customers who are travelling on planes - serving the food,
making sure the travellers board and depart the plane safely, and taking care
of any other issues.
This type of job can be done by men or women, but there are usually certain
requirements. For instance, you have to be at least 19 years old in most cases
when you first apply and usually a certain height, not too small. Also, your
weight needs to be in proportion to your height. So in other words, not
overweight unfortunately. They also really prefer people who are younger.
So not just anyone can do it. Those who do the job usually want to travel as
much as they can to see the world, or maybe to make money as in some
developing countries it is a lot better paid than many other jobs.
Regarding the skills, one of the most important things to be is outgoing. I
think you need to be very confident and happy to chat with anyone! You also
need to be patient as I’m sure you can sometimes get passengers who
complain, but you still have to continue to be nice to them. For qualifications,
you have to have good GSCE marks. I think that is it.
The reason that I’d like a job like this is because I’d really like to see the rest
of the world and I’d like to meet lots of new people from different cultures
and countries. It’s actually something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,
since I was young, which is why I know so much about the requirements. I’m
quite a confident person and very outgoing, so I think I have all the qualities
that are needed for such a job.
If I was given the chance to do this job in the future, I’d be very happy. It’s
my dream so hopefully one day it will come true.
As you'll notice, only a few parts of this response are using 'would'. The
amount you use it will depend on what you are saying.
In much of the response the candidate is talking about facts regarding the job,
which are always true, so the present simple is being used. She's not referring
to the future.
She only refers to a hypothetical situation a few times in her response.
Here are some examples for you to practice with:
Example Hypothetical Situation Speaking Card 1
Describe a beautiful place in your country that you would like to visit.
You should say:
Where it is
Who you would go with
When you would go
Explain why you would like to visit this place.
Example Hypothetical Situation Speaking Card 2
Describe a house you would like to buy in the future.
You should say
What kind of house it would be
Where you would like it to be
Who you would like to live there with
Explain why you would like to buy a house like this
