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The Second Conditional

The First Conditional is very useful for talking about what can really happen, but the Second Conditional can be more interesting because we can use it to talk about things which might happen, and also things which may never happen, things we only imagine. We call these hypothetical things — things we talk about as not real but just as ideas. Something hypothetical may happen or it may not. We talk about it as an idea, not reality.

The Second Conditional is a little like the First Conditional but we move the verbs to the past as a way to show that they’re hypothetical. So, the if clause is if + a past verb, and instead of “will” we use “would” — the past form of “will” to show “future in the past”, to make it sound hypothetical.

For example:

If I had wings, I would fly to my favorite restaurant. (It’s not real now and it probably never will be real. But if you had wings, maybe you would fly.)

If I had a girlfriend, I’d give her flowers every day. (Maybe it will be real in the future, but we’re just imagining it right now.)

If the world ended tomorrow, I wouldn’t have to go to school. (The world probably won’t end tomorrow, so we can talk about it in a hypothetical way.)

If I were a horse, I would be a horse.

Did you see that the last example says “If I were a horse”? This is because in English, when the idea uses a form of “be” and is hypothetical, the correct form is “were”, even for singular nouns like I, he, she, Mary, and Spiderman. Some people use the usual past form and might say “If I was a horse”. You can use “was” or “were” for a singular noun, but “were” is more correct when the idea is hypothetical. Just don’t say “If you was a horse”. (Some English speakers do and it’s not correct English. You’ll hear it in some movies and music, but don’t use it unless you want to be a movie star or musician. If your English teacher says “if you was” or “if they was”, find a new English teacher fast.)

Now let’s get wild and try questions and negatives, and let’s also change the order of the two parts in some examples.

If you were a cat, would you sleep all day?

Would you eat flies if you were a spider?

I wouldn’t eat that if I were you.

If I didn’t have teeth, I wouldn’t eat carrots.

Quick Exercise

Here are some verb ideas we can use in the Second Conditional. Try to make a sentence, a question, and a negative, then reveal the answer.

Verbs: I have three legs / kick people more often

Sentence

“If” first:

AnswerIf I had three legs I would kick people more often.

“If” second:

AnswerI would kick people more often if I had three legs.

Question

“If” first:

AnswerIf you had three legs, would you kick people more often?

“If” second:

AnswerWould you kick people more often if you had three legs?

Negative (my mother not have three legs / not kick me so often)

“If” first:

AnswerIf my mother didn’t have three legs, she wouldn’t kick me so often.

“If” second:

AnswerMy mother wouldn’t kick me so often if she didn’t have three legs.

First Conditional or Second Conditional?

Let’s compare the two. Which conditional is best for each situation?

1. (First Conditional is best)

If I don’t go to bed soon, I’ll be tired tomorrow.

If I didn’t go to bed soon, I’d be tired tomorrow.

2. (Second Conditional is best)

What do you think dogs will say if they can talk?

What do you think dogs would say if they could talk?

3. (Both are okay — it depends on the situation!)

Will you buy that house for me if I ask you nicely?

Would you buy that house for me if I asked you nicely?

The third example can be First Conditional or Second Conditional. It depends on whether you’re talking to someone who may actually buy you a house. For most of us, the Second Conditional works best.

Practice: Anything Is Possible

We can imagine anything because it’s the Second Conditional. Make each type of sentence, then reveal the answer.

Note from editor: If you’re a serious businessman and you think that this is an exercise for children, clearly you have not been chased by a dinosaur.

Maybe.

Remember that we can still use the Second Conditional to talk about possible things if we’re thinking about them only in a hypothetical way.

Quiz: Correct or Incorrect?

Which of these examples are correct Second Conditionals? Pick only the correct ones. Remember the “were” rule for singular nouns.

Set 1

Set 2

Set 3

Story Exercise: Jared’s Big Plans

Complete the conversation using the Second Conditional.

“Hi, Jared. Do you like Mars?”

(I have a rocket) / (I fly to Mars)
“Oh, yes! ______________, ______________.”

See answer“If I had a rocket, I’d fly to Mars.”

(what you do) / (fly to Mars)
“___________________ _______________ without your rocket exploding?”

See answer“What would you do if you flew to Mars without your rocket exploding?”

“I’d probably open a restaurant there.” (Notice that Jared is still talking about something hypothetical, so this uses “would”.)

(what you do) / (nobody come to your restaurant)
“___________________ ________________?”

See answer“What would you do if nobody came to your restaurant?”

“I’d advertise.”

“I don’t think that there’s a lot of restaurants on Mars.”

(many people eat there) / (it be the only restaurant)
“I know. ________________, _____________.”

See answer“Many people would eat there if it were the only restaurant.”

(you are on Mars) / (how they pay you)
“__________________, _______________?”

See answer“If you were on Mars, how would they pay you?”

(it happen) / (I make them wash dishes)
“______________, _____________.”

See answer“If that happened, I’d make them wash dishes.”

“Wow, Jared. You have big dreams.”

(I have a good business) / (I go to Mars)
“Yes. ____________________ _______________. But that will probably never happen.”

See answer“I’d have a good business if I went to Mars.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m in jail.”

Don’t let negative thoughts destroy your dreams like Jared did.

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