Second conditional

Reading and Listening

Read the quiz and mark a, b or c , compare your anwers with a partner .

Listen to an animal expert and check your answers.

 Second Conditional

If more people went to see the matches, the team would play better.
If I weren’t a journalist, I’d like to be a basketball player.

We use the past tense to describe the imaginary present or unlikely future
condition.

We use would + verb(base form) to describe the probable results.

SECOND CONDITIONAL

If I had a lot of money, I would buy a big house.

If I knew his number, I would phone him.

if-clause: main clause:

PAST TENSE SIMPLE PRESENT CONDITIONAL
would + infinitive

The second conditional refers to the present and future.

It expresses an unreal situation and its probable result.
The situation or condition is improbable, impossible,
imaginary, or contrary to known facts.
 Second Conditional
If clause Main/result clause
If/when + simple past Would + base formof the verb
If I saw a crocodile, I would try to hit the crocodile in the face.
SECOND CONDITIONAL

Jack wants to buy a house but he can’t do

this because he doesn’t have any money.

If I had a lot of money,

I would buy a big house.
SECOND CONDITIONAL

Susan wants to phone Paul but she can’t do

this because she doesn’t know his number.

If I knew his number,

I would phone him.
SECOND CONDITIONAL

If I had a lot of money, I would buy a big house.

If I knew his number, I would phone him.

if-clause: main clause:

PAST TENSE SIMPLE PRESENT CONDITIONAL
would + infinitive

The second conditional refers to the present and future.

It expresses an unreal situation and its probable result.
The situation or condition is improbable, impossible,
imaginary, or contrary to known facts.
Complete the sentences below by making second conditional statements. Use
your imagination!

1. If I had longer summer holidays, ________________________________________

2. If John did more exercise, ______________________________________________
3. If Mrs. Smith spoke Chinese, ____________________________________________
4. If I won a million dollars, _______________________________________________
5. _________________________________________, you could live for 150 years.
6. ___________________________________________, I might look for a new job.
7. _______________________________________, people would be very surprised.
8. _____________________________________________, he would laugh.
9. If aliens landed on Earth, ______________________________________________
10. If animals could talk, __________________________________________________
11. If people lived on the moon, ____________________________________________
12. If I spent all my money, ________________________________________________
Vocabulary
Homeless chance
Worldwide alive
Income kid
Shelter proper
Beg
Charity
Adequate
Examples:
If they wanted, they could easily provide cheap housing.

If we didn’t have these shelters, thousands of poor people would have

to sleep in the streets.

If I didn’t do something to help these kids, I’d feel really bad about
myself.

If the authorities in other cities did the same as New York, they
wouldn’t have so many homeless people.
Answer these questions using the second
conditional.
1. What would you do if you could travel into the future?
2. What would you do if you saw a ghost?
3. What would you do if you were the richest person alive?
4. What would you do if you were a robot?
5. What would you do if you could fly like a bird?
6. What would you do if animals could talk?
7. What would you do if you were the leader of your country?
8. What would you do if you forgot your own name?
9. What would you do if you had a million dollars?
10. What would you do if it rained every day?
Resources:

Murphy, Raymond. (2007). Essential Grammar in Use.

Oxenden, Clive. (2014). New English File
Evans, V., Dooley, J. (2011). Upload 3