Pivotal Moments in Your Life

1. Pivotal Moments in Your Life We are going to look at using the third conditional to talk about the hypothetical past. This is the past that never actually happened, but might have happened if things had been different.

2. Third Conditional If I had P.P. . . . I would have P.P. . . . I might have P.P. . . . (or possibly) I would . . . I might . . .

3. Pivotal Moments • We can use the third conditional to talk about pivotal moments in our lives. • A pivotal moment is a time when your life’s course changed dramatically. • A pivotal moment is a big event in your past that altered your life.

4. In 1994, I graduated from university and happened to see an ad for a job teaching English in Korea. • At that time, I wanted to travel the world and I was very curious about Asia.

5. So I answered the ad and got a job in Korea. • I enjoyed teaching and living in Korea a lot. • I started dating a Korean woman and after about a year together we decided to get married.

6. We also decided that it would be better if I went to graduate school, so I went to graduate school at Yonsei University.

7. Reading that newspaper changed my life! It was a pivotal moment. • Think about it.

8. If I hadn’t read that newspaper ad,] . . . I wouldn’t have come to Korea. . . . I wouldn’t have met my wife. . . . I wouldn’t have gone to grad school at Yonsei. . . . I wouldn’t have two children right now. . . . I wouldn’t be teaching at Inha University right now.

9. My life would be completely different. • Reading that newspaper completely changed my life. It was a pivotal moment.