Don’t be afraid of the word ‘Conditional’. It’s not THAT complicated to understand or use. Let’s go through the form (the structure of the Second Conditional in a sentence), the use (how to use it) and some examples.
FORM
- As you can see on the image, we use If/Unless with Past Simple/Continuous followed by a sentence with would/could/might + infinitive.
- We can also change the order here.
- If I had more time off, I would read more.
- I would read more if I had more time.
USE
- Whenever we use the Second Conditional, we are talking about a highly unlikely situation that is present or future.
- Notice that, although we use a past tense, we are referring to facts happening in the present or future.
- Example 1:
- If+ Past Simple – would+ infinitive.
- In other words:
- It’s not very likely that I gather 10 million dollars now, so I won’t buy homes anywhere else.
- Example 2:
- Would+not+infinitive – unless+Past Simple
- In other words:
- If had a better payed job, I could easily move to New York.
- Example 3:
- If+Past Simple – would+not+infinitive.
- In other words:
- Unless my boss plans the meetings better, we will continue wasting our time.
English Grammar
If you want to keep learning more about ‘Conditionals’ or improve your English skills, take a look at our English Grammar posts.
