First or second conditional? B1 English for a property proposal with real and ideal plans

Words to place and describe a home

Learn each phrase with its preposition.

• On the outskirts, on the coast, on the top floor, but in the country and in the suburbs: “The training centre is on the outskirts of Bristol.”
• Floors: in British English the ground floor is at street level; in American English, that is the first floor.
• Roof or ceiling: the roof covers the building, the ceiling a room. Basement or attic: below ground or under the roof. Fireplace or chimney: where the fire burns or where the smoke goes out.
• Spacious (plenty of room), cosy (small and warm), light (plenty of daylight): “The ground floor is cosy rather than spacious.”

Real next steps: if, unless, as soon as, until

For a possible condition, use if + present, then will or won’t. Use a present form after when, unless, as soon as and until too.

• Unless means “if not”: “We won’t sign the lease unless the owner repairs the roof.”
• As soon as, for the next step: “As soon as the tenant leaves, we’ll get a quotation for the roof.”
• Until, for a limit: “Until a safety inspector approves the steps, we will use the attic only for storage.”

Wish-list ideas: if + past, would

For a situation you only imagine, use if + past, then would. The past form shows distance from reality, not past time.

• “If we bought this house, we would turn the basement into a workshop.”
• Were for every person in writing: “If I were the owner, I would repair the entrance first.” In conversation, “if I was” is common too.
• Could for imagined ability: “If we could afford it, we could add a lift beside the steps.”

Will or would? How real is it?

Choose by how real the condition is to you: “If I get the job, I’ll move” after you apply, “If I got the job, I’d move” when you are only dreaming. Below, a damp basement has changed a renovation plan: the quotations are realistic, the lift is a wish.

Plan a 130–160-word proposal

Write for a real reader and let the main problem set the order: unsafe stairs put access before decoration.

• Location and purpose: “It is on the outskirts, but a frequent bus stops outside the gate.”
• One decisive weakness: “The main weakness is the attic staircase.”
• Funded steps with if, until and as soon as.
• Imagined improvements, kept separate: “If we had a larger budget, we would extend the kitchen and create a second bathroom.”
• A recommendation with its condition: “I recommend renting the cottage if the inspection confirms that the roof and chimney are safe.”

Common mistakes

Check your draft:

• “If the owner will repair the roof, we’ll sign.” No will after if: “If the owner repairs the roof, we’ll sign.”
• “If I would have more money, I would buy it.” No would after if: “If I had more money, I would buy it.”
• “We won’t sign unless the owner doesn’t agree.” Unless is already negative: “We won’t sign unless the owner agrees.”
• “The house is in the outskirts.” Say on the outskirts, but in the suburbs.

Discussion: would you share a home?

Answer each for two minutes, with one real and one imagined condition.

• “Imagine you are seventy. Where would you like to live, and who with?”
• “Would towns be better places if more people shared houses? Why or why not?”
• “Should grown-up children have a say in where their parents live?”

A 10-minute daily routine

Say everything aloud first.

• 2 minutes: play the conversation and sort plans from wishes.
• 3 minutes: describe your home: place, one room, one weakness.
• 3 minutes: two next steps with if and as soon as, one wish with if I had.
• 2 minutes: one recommendation that keeps its condition.

What comes next

Separating what is agreed from what is only possible also helps in a factual complaint email and a balanced recommendation about phone notifications. At B2, describe a photo without presenting guesses as facts.