ESLSongs

Practice the second conditional in your ESL class with this song, If I Were a Boy by Beyoncé, a song about gender equality. The lyrics of this song contain multiple 2nd conditional phrases describing the many ways Beyonce’s life would be different if she were a boy.

There is a suggestion on how to use this song in your ESL classes below, but for more ideas, click here.

Lyrics

If I were a boy
Even just for a day
I’d roll out of bed in the morning
And throw on what I wanted and go
Drink beer with the guys
And chase after girls
I’d kick it with who I wanted
And I’d never get confronted for it.
‘Cause they’d stick up for me.

[Chorus 1]
If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man.
I’d listen to her
‘Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
‘Cause he’s taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boy
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it’s broken
So they’d think that I was sleeping alone
I’d put myself first
And make the rules as I go
‘Cause I know that she’d be faithful
Waiting for me to come home

[Chorus 1]
If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man.
I’d listen to her
‘Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
‘Cause he’s taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

It’s a little too late for you to come back
Say it’s just a mistake
Think I’d forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong

[Chorus 2]
But you’re just a boy
You don’t understand
Yeah, you don’t understand, oh
How it feels to love a girl someday
You wish you were a better man
You don’t listen to her
You don’t care how it hurts
Until you lose the one you wanted
‘Cause you’ve taken her for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

But you’re just a boy

Suggested activity: fill the gaps/choose the correct option

Download this exercise (PDF)

If I were a boy even just for a day
I’d ¹__________ in the morning
And throw on what I wanted and go
Drink beer with the guys
And chase after girls
I’d ²__________ with who I wanted
And I’d ³__________ for it.
‘Cause they’d stick up for me.

Chorus
If I were a boy
I think I ⁴__________ how it feels to love a girl
I swear I’d be a better man.
I’d __________ to her
‘Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
‘Cause he’s taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boy
I would ⁵__________ my phone
Tell everyone it’s broken
So they’d think that I was sleeping alone
I’d ⁶__________
And make the rules as I go
‘Cause I know that she’d be faithful
Waiting for me to come home

Repeat chorus
It’s a ⁷little/bit too late for you to come back
Say it’s just ⁸a mistake/an error
Think I’d forgive you like that
If you ⁹knew/thought I would wait for you
You thought wrong

But you’re just a ¹⁰toy/boy, you don’t understand
Yeah, you don’t understand, oh
How it feels to ¹¹love/have a girl someday
You wish you were a better man
You don’t ¹²imprison/listen to her
You don’t care how it hurts
Until you ¹³lose/choose the one you wanted
‘Cause you’ve taken her for granted
And everything you had got destroyed