Before you watch
What do people usually talk about with their friends when they are hanging out?
Watch this extract from an episode in Friends
[Link]
While you watch
Watch the segment once and answer: What are the people talking about? Are they
arguing, playing a game or discussing future plans?
Before watching again, try to remember what each one of them says and number the
sentences below according to the order of appearance. After that, watch the video again and
check if your answers are right.
( ) If I had a wish, I’d wish for three more wishes.
( ) If I were omnipotent for a day, I would want world peace, no more hunger,
good things for the rainforest. And bigger boobs…
( ) Probably kill myself…
( ) If I were omnipotent for a day, I’d make myself omnipotent forever.
After you watch
Complete the rules with the words given below:
1
simple situations unlikely if impossible past would hypothetical
We can use the second conditional to talk about unreal _situations_________,
that is, something in the present or future which is ________________________
, ____________________ or ________________________ .
______ clause + ____________, ... + (base form)
What would you do if you were omnipotent? Explain the joke about the word omnipotent in
the end of the video.
2
He thinks it's related to impotency. "Little Joey" is an American slang for Joey’s private part.
The slang involves adding the word "little" before a person's name to denote the penis.
This also is a joke on how much Joey loves sex, that he'd rather die without it (which is
actually referenced by a later joke where they ask Joey whether he would give up food or
sex).
When Ross says "OM-nipotent", Joey thinks he said, "I'm impotent" thus making him ask
"You are?" Joey was confused between Omnipotent and Impotent.
Omnipotent means having very great or unlimited authority or power.
Impotent (here in this context) refers to male sterility.
Discuss these questions:
1. If I won 1 million dollars,
2. If I could choose any famous person to date, I would go out with
3. If I saw someone stealing from a store,
4. If my friend wrongly accused me of lying,
5. If you could go back in time and kill Hitler, would you do it?
6. If you could commit any crime and get away with it, what would you do?
(Get away with = escape punishment)
3
7. Would you work for a company that you knew polluted the environment with toxic waste if
they offered you a salary of U$25,000 a month?
8. If you could change three things about the world today, what would you change?
9. If you could change one thing about your body, what would it be?
dark lines / eye bags
To recap
Watch this famous scene from The Big Bang Theory
[Link]
Let’s practise more! It’s your turn now
[Link]
