Conditionals Second conditional 3 Some examples of second conditional sentences: If lived by the sea, I'd go swimming every day. IfIcould find a better job, !wouldn’t stay here. 4 Thesecond conditional pattem is: + subject + past simple + subject + would If had enough money, | would/'d buy that car. We use a comma () after the if part ofthe sentence in this pattern. ‘The if clause can come second: Iwould/’d buy that car if had enough money. We can use negative verbs in the same patterns: * If didn’t have friends, | wouldn't be happy. Iwouldn’t be happy ify friends left the country. 5. Wealso use could/couldn't in the ifclause: a !flcould find a betterjob, lwould/td leave this company. = 6 We can form questions with all these patterns: If you had lots of money, which car would you buy? How would you get to work if you couldn't drive? Grammar in action & Weuse the second conditional to talk about the present, and to imagine that a present fact or situation, is different from what it really is. We use the second conditional to imagine the present or future result of a different present situation: D_ Adifferent world Ifllived by the sea, fd go swimming every day. (But | don't go swimming every day because | donttlive by the sea) We also use the second conditional to talk about actions and events in the future that we think probably will not happen, and to imagine the results of those actions and events. For example, we can use it to talk about our dreams: Iflwon $1 million, | would travel the world. (But | probably won't win $1 million sol probably won't travel the world) We use could in second conditional sentences to talk about abilities and possibilities that do not exist in the present or probably won't exist in the future: If could swim, 'd go in the water. (But | won't go in the water because | can't swim.) ‘Compare the first and second Gopenetenent WN conditional to talk about things 0na.Q00 1,00 that really are possible in the future.’ rf pa Here, someone is talking on aTV gameshow: Il win the prize, Ill be very happy. ‘We use the second conditional to talk about things that probably won't happen in the future, Here, someone is watching other people on aTV gameshow: If! won the prize, td be very happy. A teenage magazine asked readers to imagine a world that is different from the world they live in. Complete what they wrote, using the verbs in the box and the second conditional. Use short forms. You will need to use one of the choices more than once. noteat notsuffer help notbe use netstat do notlike be © Hfpeople didn't starct....wars, the world 1 Ifeveryone their cars less, there 2 Ifpeople . ....more recycling, they 3. People. so unhealthy if they 4 People _ from stress if life 5 Celebrities. popular if people 64 | Verb forms and structures avoid be coaneceumanmienee a better place, so much pollution, the environment lot. junk food. so fast. reading about them,