THE SECOND CONDITIONAL

1. Form
If Condition IF CLAUSE Past simple If I won the lottery, Result MAIN CLAUSE Would+ base verb (without to) I would buy a car.

e.g.: If I had much money, I would buy a comfortable apartment.

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2. Usage
We use the second conditional to talk about: Possible but unlikely situations in the future; Or: We can use it to describe imaginary present situations; e.g. : If you saw an accident, what would you do?

2. Usage
We also use it for giving advice. This is very common: If I were you, I would...

e.g.: If I were you, I would stay at home and do my homework.

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3. Notes

If the sentence begins with the if clause, we add a comma between the if clause and the main clause.

e.g.: If he became a singer, I would go mad.

Alternatives to If
Unless= if + not
E.g.: If we were not in London today, we would not go to the concert in Hyde Park. > Unless we were in London today, we would not go to the concert in Hyde Park.

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: 1. If I ______ (be) hungry, I ____________( make) a sandwich. 2. I ______ (buy) a new car if I _____________ (have) much money. 3. If he _______ (do) his homework, he _____ (get) better marks. 4. If our parents ____ (be) here, they _____ (tell) us what to do.

5. I _____ (help) her if she ___________ ( ask) me.

6. If I ______ (find) an expensive watch on the street, I_________ ( not keep) it. 7. I ______ (come) to your party on Saturday if I (not have) to work. 8. I _______(call) them if I _____________ (know) their telephone number.