Second

Conditional
Grammar Guide

mgr Anna Waligórska – Kotfas

PWSZ Konin
 Introduction: Clauses
Conditional sentences usually consist of two
clauses:
aconditional clause (or IF CLAUSE) and a
main clause (or RESULT CLAUSE).

 The result in the main clause is dependent

on the condition in the conditional clause.
Second Conditional: Verb Patterns

 RESULT CLAUSE IF CLAUSE

would/wouldn’t + infinitive if + past simple

I would tell you her name if I knew it.

Second Conditional: Clause Order
 Youcan reverse the two clauses of a
second conditional sentence without
changing the meaning:
We would lend you a map if we had it.
=
If we had a map, we would lend it to you.
REMEMBER ABOUT A COMMA WHEN YOU START A SENTENCE
WITH IF CLAUSE!
 Second Conditional: Variations of
the main clause
 MIGHT or COULD may be used instead of WOULD in
the result clause with a slight change of meaning:

If you tried again, you would succeed.

(= certain result)
If you tried again, you might succeed.
(= possible result)
If I knew her number, I could call her. (= ability)

If he had a work permit, he could get a job.

(= permission/ability)
Use: Unreal Present Situations
 We use the second conditional to talk
about improbable situations now, things
that are untrue or imaginary. It is
impossible to fulfil the condition:

If lived near my office, I would be in time

for work. (=But I don’t live near my office.)

If I dyed my hair blue, everyone would

laugh at me. (=But I am not going to do it.)
 If I were a rich man …
 We often use WERE instead of WAS after IF.
This is common in both formal and informal styles.
However, it is possible to use WAS in colloquial
English:

If I were rich, I would spend all my time travelling.

If my nose were a little shorter, I would be quite
pretty.
If Tom were here, he would know what to
do.
 If I were you, …
 We often use the structure If I were you to
give advice:

If I were you, I would get this car serviced.

If I were you, I would talk about it with a
specialist.
If I were you, I wouldn’t marry him.
If I were you, I wouldn’t take her out of that
school.
 IF: Other words with the same meaning
 Many words and expressions can be used
with a similar meaning to IF, and often with
similar structures:
Supposing you fell in love with your boss,
what would you do?

Imagine that you won a million euros,

would you help a local charity?
 Example sentences
If I had a car, I would drive to school.

If I saw a tarantula, I would be terrified!

If my sister were older, she would come

with me to the party.
 Example sentences
My parents would buy a bigger house if
they had more money.

I wouldn’t know what to do if I found a

mouse in my kitchen.

What would you do if you lost your job?

1st Conditional vs. 2nd Conditional
 1st:refers to future, conditions seems
rather realistic – so we think it is likely to
happen:

If John has the money, he will buy a

Ferrari.
(= I know John very well and I know that he earns a lot of
money and that he loves Ferraris. So I think it is very
likely that sooner or later he will have the money to buy a
Ferrari.)
1st Conditional vs. 2nd Conditional
 2nd: refers to present. An action could
happen if the present situation were
different. I don't really expect the situation
to change, I just imagine:

If John had the money, he would buy a

Ferrari.
(= I know John very well and I know that he doesn't have
much money, but he loves Ferraris. He would like to own
a Ferrari in his dreams. But I think it is very unlikely that
he will have the money to buy one in the near future.)
 Bibliography
1. Bourke K.: Verbs and Tenses: Intermediate. Test it, Fix
it. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.
2. Leech G., Cruickshank B., Ivanic R.: An A-Z of English
Grammar & Usage. Harlow: Longman, 2004.
3. Murphy R.: English Grammar in Use. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2006.
4. Swan M.: Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2005.
5. Thomas A. J., Martinet A. V.: A practical English
Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986.
6. Vince M.: Intermediate Language Practice (New Edition)
. Oxford: Macmillan Education 2010.