This document provides information about the second conditional in English grammar. It explains that the second conditional is used to talk about unreal or imagined situations in the present or future. It consists of two clauses: an "if" clause using the simple past tense, followed by a main clause with "would" or "wouldn't". Several examples are provided to illustrate the typical structure and use of the second conditional. Common mistakes in formation are also addressed.

1. Second conditional
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2. She wouldn’t be in trouble __ she wasn’t talking.
If they had more time, they ______ visit the science museum.
If you _____ a scientist, what would you invent?
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Second conditional
if
would
were

3. If I was good at the violin, I would play in the orchestra.
She wouldn’t be a scientist if she wasn’t interested in
science.
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No
Yes
No
Second conditional meaning
Yes
• Is she good at the violin?
• Does she play in the school orchestra?
• Is she a scientist?
• Is she interested in science?

4. If I lived in town, I’d go to the movies more often.
If she was an astronaut, would she fly to the moon?
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I’d go to the movies more often if I lived in a town.
Would she fly to the moon if she was an astronaut?
Second conditional structure
I wish
I wish you were here.
I wish we could go out.
= You are not here and I am not happy about it.
= We can not go out and I am not happy about it.

5. If I would have more time, I’d visit my grandma.
I wish I can go to the party.
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GET IT RIGHT!
If I had more time, I’d visit my grandma.
I wish I could go to the party.

6. If you could travel around the world, what countries would you visit?
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Language in action
I’d go to Australia, Iceland, and Italy.
Why would you go to Italy?
I’d go to Italy because I love pizza. In fact, I wish I could eat a pizza now!

7. • We use the second conditional to talk about unreal or imagined
situations in the present or the future.
• The second conditional has two parts (or “clauses”). We usually make
the second conditional like this:
If clause Main clause
If + simple past + comma would / wouldn’t + main verb
If I knew the answer, I’d (would) tell you.
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Can you remember the rules?

8. • We can change the order of the two clauses if we want to. When we put
the if clause first, we write a comma (,) after it. If we put the main clause
first, there is no comma.
If I was sick, I’d stay in bed.
I’d stay in bed if I was sick.
• When we want to talk about how we would like something in the present
to be different, we can use I wish + past tense.
I wish it wasn’t raining today. = It is raining today and I am not happy
about it.
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9. © Cambridge University Press 2016
Speaking
Say a sentence ending. Can your partner guess the beginning?

10. © Cambridge University Press 2016
Discuss the situations with your group/partner.
• If you could travel to a past time, where would you go? Why?
• How would you feel if there was no Internet? How would you
communicate?
• What would you do if you saw your friend stealing something?
• If you were a superhero, what special power would you choose?
Why?
• What three things would you do if you were the president of your
country?
• What would you do if you lived to be 100 years old?
• If you had only one meal to eat every day for a week, what meal
would it be?

11. Acknowledgements
The publishers are grateful to the following illustrators:
Slide 2: David Semple
Slide 3: Graham Kennedy
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