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12 Revie Review

Unit 12 Review

Unit 12

  • I CAN review mixed conditionals, future tenses, and rental language
Unit 12 Review
Lesson Review

Lesson Review

17 cards

Welcome to the end of Unit 12. This review will help you bring together three important areas of B2 English: mixed conditionals, future tenses, and rental language. You will revise the grammar you studied earlier, refresh the vocabulary you need for housing and renting, and finish with a short writing task that combines both.

Mixed conditionals

A mixed conditional is a sentence that mixes a past time with a present time, or a present time with a past time. The two halves of the sentence live in different time zones.

The most common form is past condition → present result. We use the third conditional in the if-clause and the second conditional in the main clause.

  • If I had studied law, I would be a lawyer now. (I didn't study law in the past, so I am not a lawyer now.)
  • If she had moved to London, she would have a flat in the city. (She didn't move to London, so she has no flat there now.)

The other form is present condition → past result. We use the second conditional in the if-clause and the third conditional in the main clause.

  • If I were more patient, I would have waited for you. (I am not patient, so I didn't wait.)
  • If he didn't work abroad, he would have come to the wedding. (He works abroad, so he didn't come.)

Notice the structure carefully: the time of the result clause tells you what the real time is. If the result is "now", use would + base verb. If the result is "in the past", use would have + past participle. Using were instead of was in the if-clause is the more formal, written style, especially for first and third person singular.

Future tenses

B2 speakers are expected to handle a full range of future forms. Here is a quick map:

Form Example Main use
will I will call you later. spontaneous decision, prediction
going to I am going to call you later. plan or intention already decided
future continuous This time tomorrow I will be flying to Madrid. action in progress at a future point
future perfect By Friday, I will have finished the report. action completed before a future point
future perfect continuous By next year, I will have been working here for ten years. duration up to a future point

A useful tip: the future perfect and future perfect continuous often appear with time markers like by, by the time, before, or by next... — for example, By 9 p.m. we will have eaten. Use continuous forms when you want to emphasise how long something has been happening up to that future point.

Rental language

When you rent a home in an English-speaking country, you meet a lot of specialist vocabulary. Landlords, estate agents and tenancy agreements all use specific terms.

People and contracts

  • a landlord (the person who owns the property and rents it out)
  • a tenant (the person who pays rent and lives there)
  • an estate agent (the person who helps you find a place)
  • a lease or tenancy agreement (the legal contract)

Money

  • rent (the monthly payment)
  • a deposit (money you pay in advance, returned when you leave)
  • bills included (gas, electricity, water in the price)
  • utilities (gas, electricity, water, internet)

Places

  • a flat (UK) / apartment (US) — a home in one building
  • a studio — a flat with one main room
  • a house share — a house shared with other tenants
  • furnished / unfurnished — with or without furniture

Verbs

  • to move in / move out
  • to renew a contract / to terminate a contract
  • to give notice (to tell the landlord you are leaving)
  • to evict (when the landlord forces a tenant to leave)

Writing strategy: Using formal language

Before you write, remember that some writing tasks — for example a letter of complaint — need a formal register. Use full forms (I am, not I'm), avoid contractions, choose polite verbs (I would like, I am writing to), and open and close politely (Dear Sir or Madam, Yours faithfully). State the problem clearly, suggest what you would like to happen, and keep the tone calm.

Writing task

Your writing task is to write a formal letter of complaint to your landlord about problems in your rented flat. You should describe two or three problems, explain how they affect you, and politely request action. Aim for 120–150 words.

Generating translation…

Required

Look at the sentence: If I had studied harder, I would have a better job now. Which type of mixed conditional is it?

  • Past condition → present result
  • Present condition → past result
  • Future condition → future result
Required

Complete the mixed conditional: If she ___ (not move) abroad last year, she ___ (have) a flat here now.

Required

Complete the mixed conditional: If he ___ (be) more organised, he ___ (not miss) the bus this morning.

If I were braver, I would have asked the landlord to fix the boiler.

An example of present condition → past result. The if-clause is about now (I am not brave) and the result is about yesterday (I did not ask).

Required

Drag the correct verb form into each gap. The sentences all use the future perfect.

  • will have been
  • will have eaten
  • will have moved
  • will have finished

By Friday, I the report.

By the time you arrive, dinner ready for hours.

Before next month, they into the new flat.

By 8 p.m. tonight, we dinner.

Required

Put the words in order to make a sentence in the future continuous.

  1. This
  2. time
  3. tomorrow
  4. I
  5. will
  6. be
  7. flying
  8. to
Required

Which future form fits best? By next July, I ___ here for ten years.

  • will work
  • will be working
  • will have been working
Required

Match each rental word with its definition.

Match each rental word with its definition.

  • landlord
  • tenant
  • deposit
  • estate agent
  • to give notice
  • the person who owns the property and rents it out
  • the person who pays rent and lives in the property
  • money paid in advance, returned when you leave
  • the person who helps you find a place to rent
  • to tell the landlord you are leaving
Required

Read this sentence aloud. Focus on clear pronunciation of furnished and included.

The flat is furnished, and bills are included in the rent.

Required

Complete the sentence with a word from the rental box: deposit / lease / evict / give notice / renew. I am going to ___ my contract for another twelve months.

Required

Sort these rental words into the correct group.

  • landlord
  • tenant
  • estate agent
  • deposit
  • rent
  • bills
  • move in
  • give notice
  • evict

People

Money

Verbs

Required

Which sentence uses rental language correctly?

  • I gave my deposit to the tenant when I moved in.
  • The landlord asked us to give notice two months before leaving.
  • We evicted the house because it was too small.

PREPARE — gather your ideas for the writing task.

Before you write the letter of complaint, plan your content. Answer these questions briefly in English:

  1. What two or three problems are there in your flat? (e.g. a broken boiler, a leaking roof, noisy neighbours)
  2. When did each problem start? Use the past simple (The boiler broke down on 5 March).
  3. How does it affect you? Use present simple (I cannot heat the flat, I have to work at the library).
  4. What do you want the landlord to do? Use polite requests (I would like you to..., Could you please...).

Make a short list. You will use these notes in the next step.

WRITE — now write your letter.

Write a formal letter of complaint (120–150 words) to your landlord, Mr James Wilson, about problems in your rented flat at 12 Park Road. Use the structure below:

  • Opening: Dear Sir or Madam / Dear Mr Wilson,
  • Paragraph 1: Introduce yourself and your tenancy, and state the purpose of the letter.
  • Paragraph 2: Describe two or three problems and how they affect you. Use the future perfect if it helps (By the end of this week, I will have spent five days without heating).
  • Paragraph 3: Make a polite request for action and say what you will do if nothing changes.
  • Closing: Yours faithfully / Yours sincerely,

Remember the rental vocabulary from this unit: landlord, tenant, deposit, lease, give notice, bills included, furnished, move out.

REVIEW — check your writing.

Read your letter again and check it against this list:

  • ☐ I used a formal opening and closing (Dear Sir or Madam, Yours faithfully).
  • ☐ I used full forms, not contractions (I am, not I'm).
  • ☐ I described at least two problems clearly.
  • ☐ I used rental vocabulary from the unit correctly.
  • ☐ I used at least one mixed conditional or future perfect if it fits.
  • ☐ I closed with a polite request for action.

If any box is empty, rewrite that part of the letter. Your letter is finished when you can tick every box.

Required