The Second Conditional

Talk about unreal, impossible, or imaginary situations.

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The Structure

If + Past Simple, ... would + Verb

  • The "If" Clause (Condition): Uses the Past Simple tense. It describes a hypothetical (unreal) situation now or in the future.
  • The Main Clause (Result): Uses would (or could, might) + the base verb. It describes the imaginary result.
Example 1 (Hypothetical)

If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.

(I probably won't win the lottery, it's just a dream.)

Example 2 (Giving Advice)

If I were you, I would study harder.

Grammar Tip: "Was" vs "Were"

In the Second Conditional, we often use "were" for all subjects (I, he, she, it) instead of "was". This is called the subjunctive mood.
"If I were a bird..." is more formal/correct than "If I was a bird..."

Negatives

Use didn't in the if-clause and wouldn't in the main clause.

Structure

If + Past Simple (Negative), ... wouldn't + Verb

  • If I didn't have work, I would go with you.
  • If she knew the truth, she wouldn't be angry.

Questions

Change the order in the Main Clause to make a question.

Structure

(Wh-) + Would + Subject + Verb ... if ... ?

  • Would you buy a house if you were rich?
  • What would you do if you saw a ghost?

Position of "If" & Punctuation

Just like the First Conditional, you can start with either clause. The meaning is the same.

Option 1

"If" at the beginning

Use a comma after the if-clause.

If I lived in Spain, I would learn Spanish.

Option 2

"If" in the middle

Do NOT use a comma.

I would learn Spanish if I lived in Spain.

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