There are four common conditional forms. To speak English better, you need to learn them all. In this post, we will talk about the conditional form for talking about unreal situations.
Use the second conditional to talk about imaginary, unlikely or impossible conditions and the result of these conditions. For example:
1. If I won the lottery, I would build free libraries for the poor.
2. I would go crazy if I were as famous as Angelina Jolie.
3. If I were a dog, I would be a Labrador.
All conditional forms have two clauses, the conditional clause and the result clause. In the examples above, the conditional clauses are the parts in bold font.
If I were a dog, I would be a Labrador.
Basically, the second conditional says: If A happened, then B would happen.
To form the second conditional, follow these structures:
1. If I won the lottery, I would build free libraries for the poor.
[If + simple past], [will + base verb].
2. I would go crazy if I were as famous as Angelina Jolie.
[would + base verb] [if + simple past].
Note that when you use the second conditional form, you always change "was" to "were." For example:
If I was were rich, I would travel all over the world.
I would kiss you if I wasn’t weren’t married.
Using the second conditional
The second conditional is used to make statements about unreal or imaginary conditions. This means that the condition has no possibility of happening.
In place of would, you can also use the following words: could, may, and might.
Here are more examples:
1. If you loved me back, I could die of happiness.
2. She may say yes if you asked her to go with you.
3. If the teacher were more patient, we might enjoy the class.
4. I would stop smoking if I were you.
5. If you ate less fast food, you would be healthier.
We’ll discuss the third conditional form in another blog post. In the meantime, remember how to form the second conditional and practice using it whenever you can.
Now, try it out! Complete the following statements using the second conditional.
1. If I didn’t love you, __________.
2. If I were taller, __________.
3. If I were a bird, __________.
4. If I spoke English fluently, __________.
5. I would be very happy if __________.
If you want to learn more about the conditional forms, schedule a lesson with us. Our online English teachers can help you practice using the different conditional forms in fun conversational English lessons!
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