Grammar Second conditional

Use
• We use the second conditional to talk about situations that are not real or are
unlikely. We use it when we imagine events and their results.

‘I’ve never seen a snake. If I ‘Really? I’d run away if I saw

saw a snake, I’d take a photo.’ a snake!’

Form
• We form the second conditional with an if clause and a result clause.
• We form the if clause with: If + subject + past simple.
• We form the result clause with: subject + would / wouldn’t + verb.
Second conditional
If clause Result clause
If subject + past simple subject + would / wouldn’t verb
you went to bed earlier, you wouldn’t feel tired all the time.

Mark joined the sports

If he’d make new friends.
club,

I lost this phone, my parents would be angry.

Tip Tip

After personal pronouns, we usually use the short form ’d In if clauses, we can use was or were after I / he / she / it. Were is
instead of would: more formal.
If I had lots of money, I’d travel around the world. Informal: If Mrs Thomas was our teacher, our lessons would
be fantastic.
Formal: If Mrs Thomas were our teacher, our lessons would
Tip be fantastic.

We can put the if clause or the result clause first. We put a

comma after the if clause when it comes before the result
clause.
If you exercised every day, you’d be fitter. 
OR You’d be fitter if you exercised every day.

Printable © Oxford University Press 2017