English through Music

Beyoncé: If I Were a Boy

Seeing the situation from another position

B2Approximately 34 minutesAdults

Created by Denis M., British English teacher.

01 Watch 02 Useful English 03 Quick quiz 04 Speaking

Your goal: Explore a hypothetical viewpoint and use the second conditional to discuss empathy and fairness.

Relationship conflict, perceived double standards and implied infidelity. Discuss behaviour without treating stereotypes as facts about all women or men.

01 · 8 minutes

Watch

Watch the complete video once without pausing. Focus on the overall meaning and mood; you do not need to catch every word.

Listen for what the speaker imagines doing differently and why listening matters in the imagined role.

If the player cannot load or reports an error, open the video on YouTube.

Open on YouTube

Beyoncé – If I Were A Boy

Choose one word for your first reaction. There is no correct answer.

02 · 5 minutes

Useful English

Four useful items connected with the song. Definitions and examples are original; not every item is claimed to appear in the recording.

British English vocabulary audio

Open the full MP3

Choose an item to hear its word, meaning and example.

perspective

noun

A particular way of understanding or looking at a situation.

Listening to both sides changed my perspective.

take someone for granted

verb phrase

To stop appreciating someone because you expect their care or presence to continue.

He realised that he had taken his most reliable colleague for granted.

double standard

noun phrase

A rule or judgement applied differently to different people in comparable situations.

Allowing one employee to arrive late but criticising another may reveal a double standard.

considerate

adjective

Careful to think about other people’s feelings and needs.

It was considerate of her to check whether the time suited everyone.

03 · 9 minutes

Quick quiz

Choose one answer for each question. Questions 1–2 focus on the song; questions 3–6 practise useful vocabulary.

Open the six-question quiz

1. What is the main purpose of the imagined role in the song?

To explain a set of legal rules for changing a name.To describe a confirmed change of identity in the singer’s biography.To consider how someone could behave with more understanding.

2. Which behaviour does the speaker say would be important in the imagined role?

Listening and taking the other person’s feelings seriously.Ignoring the other person’s concerns more often.Keeping every conversation strictly about money.

3. You consider a problem from another person’s perspective. What do you do?

Refuse to consider any other viewpoint.Try to understand how it looks to them.Automatically accept everything they say as true.

4. Which behaviour takes a helpful colleague for granted?

Recognising the help and checking their workload.Offering support when they are busy.Expecting constant help without noticing or appreciating the effort.

5. Which situation most clearly shows a double standard?

Two people do the same thing, but only one is criticised because of who they are.Different tasks have different safety requirements.Everyone receives the same clear instructions.

6. Which action is considerate?

Assuming your preferences must always come first.Checking whether a loud activity will disturb someone who is working.Interrupting whenever you feel impatient.

1–2 minGrammar in a minuteB2 · If I were…: a hypothetical viewpoint

Imagine a different present role without claiming that it is real.

If I were the team leader, I would listen before deciding.

Original practice model, not a song lyric

For an imagined present situation, use if + past form, then would + base verb for the result. Were is conventional with all subjects in hypothetical clauses, especially in careful English. Was is also heard informally with I/he/she; it is not a universal error.

Choose the complete second-conditional sentence about an imagined present role.If I would be the organiser, I asked everyone’s opinion.If I were the organiser, I would ask everyone’s opinion.If I were the organiser, I would asked everyone’s opinion.

Grammar support

B2Second Conditional: Choices, Advice and Consequences

04 · 12 minutes

Speaking

Give your opinion and explain it. Different reactions are welcome. You may use invented examples instead of personal experiences.

Open the three speaking questions

1. What does imagining another role help a person notice?

Apply the question to work, education or a fictional relationship.

From the other position, someone might notice…

2. How can you tell a double standard from a reasonable difference in treatment?

Give one example of each and explain the relevant context.

It may be a double standard when…, whereas…

3. Imagine you lead a group that disagrees about a decision. What would you do?

Use a second conditional and explain how you would listen fairly.

If I were in charge, I would…

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