18.

3 second conditional
The second conditional has two main uses.

[00:00:03] And while the grammar has us using the past, we're actually talking about predictions
that probably won't happen in the future, and things that are impossible right now. Let's take a
deeper look.

[00:00:14] How to form the second conditional.

[00:00:16] With the dependent, if clause, we use the past simple.

[00:00:20] In the independent clause, we use would plus the infinitive form of our main verb.

[00:00:26] Was versus were.

[00:00:28] In many languages there is a mood that changes the form of a verb, especially in
English, for situations where we use the second conditional to talk about unreal or impossible
situations. That mood is called the subjunctive. In some languages, the subjunctive is important,
but you don't need to worry about it in English. Because we don't use it anymore! Only if you
want to use it, and for the second conditional you can! Well you probably should anyways on a
test.

[00:00:57] I just told you that we form the second conditional with if plus the past tense in the
first part of the sentence, and then would and the infinitive.

[00:01:05] So for I, I can say, if I was young again, I would do better in school.

[00:01:10] It's not using the subjunctive though. So technically it's grammatically incorrect. With
the subjunctive was becomes were.

[00:01:19] If I were young again, I would do better in school.

[00:01:23] And guess what? This change only happens when using the verb to be with subjects I
he she it in the past tense in the second conditional.

[00:01:32] This is the only time we really use the subjunctive in English. And in spoken English,
you will hear most people say.

[00:01:39] If I was, ...

[00:01:40] Some people do say if I were, both are totally alright totally, correct when speaking.
But when taking a test or writing an essay, use were! Use the subjunctive. Okay, let's talk about
uses now and give some more examples.

[00:01:54] Use 1: things unlikely to happen.

[00:01:57] The first use is similar in meaning to the first conditional, but has a much much lower
chance of happening, almost impossible. Again, that's why it's grammatically correct to use the
subjunctive. So discussing future events and actions that are so unlikely to happen that they are
more like dreams or things we can only imagine in our head.

[00:02:17] If I won a million dollars, I would buy a yacht.

[00:02:20] To win is the present tense. The past tense is irregular, won. And the second part of
our sentence is would plus buy in the infinitive. Because this is so unlikely to happen. We don't
use the first conditional, we use the second conditional for these things that have such a small
chance. And while we're using the past tense, we're actually talking about the future, not the
past. We're predicting what we would do in the future.

[00:02:47] If I had lunch with Barack Obama, I would ask him what it was like to be president.

[00:02:52] I'm not going to be having lunch with Barack Obama. It's more of a fantasy than
reality. So I use the second conditional. It's just really unlikely to happen. But if I did, I would ask
him some questions.

[00:03:04] However, if I'm Michelle Obama, his wife, I'll probably use the first conditional.
Because I will probably have lunch with Barack Obama sometime, maybe it's not guaranteed
today, but being his wife, it's much much more likely to happen. And as you can see, with
conditionals two and soon to be three, knowing irregular past tense verbs and participles is very
important!

[00:03:27] Use 2: Impossible in the present and giving advice.

[00:03:31] The grammar isn't changing for use two, but the use definitelyis .

[00:03:35] So we were just talking about things in the future that probably won't happen, but
what I would to do if they did happen. Now we are going to talk about things that are impossible
in the present, but what we would do if they were real.

[00:03:50] If I were you, I would quit my job.

[00:03:52] We start with our if clause, if I were you. Now, this is impossible right now because I
am not you! But I am imagining something I would do if I were you. What would I do? Quit my
job.

[00:04:05] Do you see how I'm using the conditional here? I'm giving you advice. I'm putting
myself in your shoes. I'm telling you what I would do as you! Maybe before you told me, "Kallan.
I hate my job. What should I do?"

[00:04:19] And I responded, "if I were you, I would quit my job and find a new job I enjoy."

[00:04:24] The second conditional is great for asking for and getting advice.
[00:04:28] Finally, we can also form this sentence this way,

[00:04:31] if I was you, I would quit my job.

[00:04:34] If she were taller, she could be a model now.

[00:04:36] This is also something impossible in the present. She can't be taller. She is as tall as
she will ever be. So she can't be a model, but we are talking about something impossible and
what the result of it could be.

[00:04:50] This is called a hypothetical. It's saying what could happen if something not true were
to become true. And the sentence can also be said this way.

[00:05:00] If she was taller, she could be a model.

[00:05:02] Asking questions.

[00:05:04] The second conditional is the most popular for asking questions. Sometimes fun
questions, like if you could be any animal, what animal would you be? Or serious questions, like
if you had the power to change anything in this company, what thing would you change?

[00:05:18] Most often when asking the questions, you need to ask the whole question or you
won't be understood. That means both the dependent clause, if plus past simple, and the
independent clause, would plus the infinitive. But when responding, you only need to repeat the
independent clause. The part with would and the infinitive, because the independent clause can
exist by itself. The dependent clause can't. So if you have a quick response, only give the
independent clause.

[00:05:46] However, if you don't have a response, or need more time to respond, you can reply
with both parts. I'll give you a couple examples.

[00:05:54] If you could travel to any planet, what planet would you travel to?

[00:05:57] Oh,I''d travel to Mars.

[00:05:59] Here Ionly respond with the independent clause, and it seems like because I know
exactly what I'm going to say, very quickly. The choice is always yours. If you're not sure you
understood the question, then repeat the part of the question you didn't understand as a
question!

[00:06:13] If you were a new salesman again, what advice would you give yourself?

[00:06:17] Wow? Hmm if I were a new salesman again, I would tell myself to work hard!

[00:06:23] Here, I sounded stumped. Meaning I didn't have a good answer right away. So I more
slowly answered the question and I repeated the if clause, too, to give me more time.