Conditionals 2 Conditional Wishes and Imaginary Situations
Conditionals 2 Conditional Wishes and Imaginary Situations
Conditionals 2 Conditional Wishes and Imaginary Situations
2nd Conditional
Wishes and Imaginary situations.
1) Make the second conditional in this way.
If I past simple , I would / wouldn’t verb
you you ‘d (infinitive
he he form)
she... she... could / couldn’t
Example: If we had more money, we would buy that house.
Or
I would / wouldn’t verb if I past simple
you ‘d (infinitive form) you
he he
she... could / couldn’t she...
Example: She’d be more successful if she worked harder.
2) The verb to be can use were for all subjects. This is particularly true in the sentence: If I were you…
If I were you, I’d buy a bicycle.
However, this rule is often overlooked.
If he were more careful, he wouldn’t break everything. If he was more careful, he wouldn’t break everything.
3) To talk about imaginary abilities, use could.
If I could + verb (infinitive) , I would / wouldn’t verb
you you ‘d (infinitive
he he form)
she... she...
Example: If I could help you, I would!
4) Notice that the infinitive verb after the modal verbs is not necessary if the meaning is clear. Don’t contract
modal verbs when there is no infinitive verb present.
If I could pay, I’d... => If I could pay, I would...
Complete the sentences using the verbs in parentheses.
Conversation 1
I wish I ______________ (have) a larger circle of friends. If I ______________ (know) more people, I
______________ (not spend) so many evenings by myself.
Conversation 2
I wish I ______________ (not have to) wake up so early in the morning. If I ______________ (can) get up a
little later, I ______________ (be able to) eat a good breakfast.
Conversation 3
I wish I ______________ (not live) so far away. If I ______________ (have) an apartment in town, I
______________ (be) much happier.
3rd Conditional
would have
would’ve
If past perfect , ‘d have past participle
(had + past participle) wouldn’t have
(hadn’t + past participle)
EVENT A EVENT B
If you’d told me that Anna had put on weight, I wouldn’t have congratulated her on becoming pregnant.
Or:
wouldn’t have
EVENT B EVENT A
Jim wouldn’t have made those mistakes if you had trained him properly.
b) You can also use may have / may not have, might have / might not have or could have / couldn’t have to
describe less certain possibilities rather than certain consequences.
You might have had an accident if you’d driven home in the snow last night.
These people are talking about the past. Complete the sentences with the verbs in parentheses.
1. Rita If I ______________ (take) some acting lessons, maybe I ______________ (would get)
a part in the play.
2. Janice If my parents ______________ (not encourage) me to become a doctor, I
______________ (would not go) to medical school.
3. Robert If I ______________ (publish) my book, I ______________ (could make) a lot of money.
4. Doreen I ______________ (might be) discovered if I ______________ (go) to Hollywood when I
was young.
5. Sam What ______________ (would happen) if I ______________ (not start) my own business?
6. Jack I ______________ (could not win) the talent contest if I ______________ (not practice)
every day.
7. Max If I _______________ (listen) to my teacher’s advice, maybe I ___________________
(would pass) my Spanish class.