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Conditional Type 2nd

This document provides a grammar guide for the second conditional. It explains that the second conditional consists of an if clause describing an unlikely present situation and a main clause describing the probable result. It gives examples of verb patterns and the order of clauses. It discusses using might, could, were, and other words instead of would. The second conditional is used to talk about improbable present situations.

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27 views

Conditional Type 2nd

This document provides a grammar guide for the second conditional. It explains that the second conditional consists of an if clause describing an unlikely present situation and a main clause describing the probable result. It gives examples of verb patterns and the order of clauses. It discusses using might, could, were, and other words instead of would. The second conditional is used to talk about improbable present situations.

Uploaded by

lady jo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Second

Conditional
Grammar Guide

mgr Anna Waligórska – Kotfas


PWSZ Konin
Introduction: Clauses
Conditional sentences usually consist of two
clauses:

 a conditional clause (or IF CLAUSE) and a


main clause (or RESULT CLAUSE).

 The result in the main clause is dependent


on the condition in the conditional clause.
Second Conditional: Verb Patterns

 RESULT CLAUSE IF CLAUSE

would/wouldn’t + infinitive if + past simple

I would tell you her name if I knew it.


Second Conditional: Clause Order
 You can reverse the two clauses of a
second conditional sentence without
changing the meaning:
We would lend you a map if we had it.
=
If we had a map, we would lend it to you.

REMEMBER ABOUT A COMMA WHEN YOU START A SENTENCE


WITH IF CLAUSE!
Second Conditional: Variations of
the main clause
 MIGHT or COULD may be used instead of WOULD in
the result clause with a slight change of meaning:

If you tried again, you would succeed.


(= certain result)
If you tried again, you might succeed.
(= possible result)
If I knew her number, I could call her. (= ability)

If he had a work permit, he could get a job.


(= permission/ability)
Use: Unreal Present Situations
 We use the second conditional to talk
about improbable situations now, things
that are untrue or imaginary. It is
impossible to fulfil the condition:

If lived near my office, I would be in time


for work. (=But I don’t live near my office.)

If I dyed my hair blue, everyone would


laugh at me. (=But I am not going to do it.)
If I were a rich man …
 We often use WERE instead of WAS after IF.
This is common in both formal and informal styles.
However, it is possible to use WAS in colloquial
English:

If I were rich, I would spend all my time travelling.


If my nose were a little shorter, I would be quite pretty.
If Tom were here, he would know what to
do.
If I were you, …
 We often use the structure If I were you to
give advice:

If I were you, I would get this car serviced.


If I were you, I would talk about it with a
specialist.
If I were you, I wouldn’t marry him.
If I were you, I wouldn’t take her out of that
school.
IF: Other words with the same meaning
 Many words and expressions can be used
with a similar meaning to IF, and often with
similar structures:

Supposing you fell in love with your boss,


what would you do?

Imagine that you won a million euros,


would you help a local charity?
Example sentences
If I had a car, I would drive to school.

If I saw a tarantula, I would be terrified!

If my sister were older, she would come


with me to the party.
Example sentences
My parents would buy a bigger house if
they had more money.

I wouldn’t know what to do if I found a


mouse in my kitchen.

What would you do if you lost your job?


1st Conditional vs. 2nd Conditional
 1st: refers to future, conditions seems
rather realistic – so we think it is likely to
happen:

If John has the money, he will buy a


Ferrari.
(= I know John very well and I know that he earns a lot of
money and that he loves Ferraris. So I think it is very
likely that sooner or later he will have the money to buy a
Ferrari.)
1st Conditional vs. 2nd Conditional
 2nd: refers to present. An action could
happen if the present situation were
different. I don't really expect the situation
to change, I just imagine:

If John had the money, he would buy a


Ferrari.
(= I know John very well and I know that he doesn't have
much money, but he loves Ferraris. He would like to own
a Ferrari in his dreams. But I think it is very unlikely that
he will have the money to buy one in the near future.)

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