The second conditional
A conditional is used to talk about a possible or imaginary situation (the condition) and the consequences (or the result) of it.
The second conditional - meaning
We use the second conditional to talk about imaginary, hypothetical or unreal situations. We use it to talk about the result of this imaginary situation.
In this episode of the Flatmates, Khalid answers questions about imaginary holiday situations. He is not on holiday now, and he is not about to go on holiday. But, if he was on holiday, and if there was a problem with his hotel room, he would talk to the manager.
The idea that he is on holiday and that there is a problem with the hotel room is a hypothetical (imaginary) situation. The result of this situation is talking to the manager.
We use 'would' to show that we are certain about the result of the imaginary situation. If we are not certain about the result, we can use might instead of would:
Example: If there was a problem, I might speak to the manager, or I might contact my travel agent.
The second conditional does not refer to past time. We often use it when we imagine a different present or when we are not making a direct reference to time.
Example: If he was an animal, he would be a tiger.
The second conditional - form
a. A conditional sentence is usually composed of two parts – The condition and the consequence.
In the condition we usually use the past simple of the verb (was, had). In the consequence we use would + infinitive without to (would speak, would go):
Examples:
If there was a problem with his room, he would speak to the manager.
If I had the money and also the time, I would go to New York.
We always separate the consequence and the condition with a comma, when we begin the sentence with the condition. When we begin the sentence with the consequence, we usually don’t use a comma.
Example: I would go to New York if I had the money and also the time.
b. The negative form of 'would' is 'wouldn't':
Example: If there was a problem with his room, he wouldn't contact his travel agent
c. When you make a question, you change the word order by moving 'would':
Examples: What would you do if there was a problem with your room?
If you had the money and also the time, where would you go? Would you contact your travel agent?
Would you visit the Statue of Liberty?
d. In short answers to yes/no questions, you use would or wouldn't?
Examples: Would you contact your travel agent? No, I wouldn't. Would you visit the Statue of Liberty? Yes, I would.
e. In spoken English, we usually use a contracted form of would: I would = I'd, he would = he'd etc.
f. It is possible, in the condition, to say both 'If I were you ...' and 'If I was you ...' 'If I were you ...' is the traditional and more formal form, but 'If I was you ...' is very common nowadays.
Vocabulary
- a survey
- when someone asks a lot of people the same set of questions, usually for market research or at election time
