The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Watch this short scene from the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, where a series of unpredicted events lead to an accident.

Self-study activity:
Now watch the scene again and finish off the sentences below imagining what would have happened if things had been different. You will have to use the third conditional in all the instances.

Remember the formula for the third conditional:
If + past perfect // would have + participle

The second part of the conditional will be the same in the exercise:
... Daisy and her friend would have crossed the street and the taxi would have driven by.

Only the "if" part will change. Example:
Daisy’s friend’s shoelace broke > If her shoelace hadn't broken (they would have crossed the street...)

1. the delivery truck moved
2. the package wasn’t wrapped
3. the girl broke up with her boyfriend
4. the man forgot to set the alarm
5. the taxi driver stopped for a cup of coffee
6. the woman didn’t remember her coat

Self-study activity: Get together with a friend or a classmate and talk about one time in your life when you suffered or witnessed an accident.
Afterwards think about different ways the accident might have been prevented by using third conditional sentences, as in the activity above.
Example: If I hadn't answered my mobile I wouldn't have crashed with the van.

Key: 1. If the truck hadn't moved... 2. If the package had been wrapped... 3. If the girl hadn't broken up with her boyfriend... 4. If the man hadn't forgotten (or had remembered) to set the alarm... 5. If the taxi driver hadn't stopped... 6. If the woman had remembered her coat.

This activity is adapted from one designed by Claudio Azevedo (Movie Segments to Assess Grammar Goals).