The second conditional talks about unreal, imaginary or very unlikely situations in the present or future. The past tense in the “if” clause does not refer to the past – it signals that the situation is not real. The result clause uses would + base verb.
Form
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| If + past simple, would + base verb | If I had money, I would buy a house. |
| would + base verb + if + past simple | I would travel if I had time. |
| If I were you, I would … | If I were you, I'd apologise. |
When to use it
- Imaginary situations: If I had wings, I would fly.
- Unlikely future: If I became president, I would…
- Advice with “If I were you”: If I were you, I'd take the job.
- Polite requests: I would be grateful if you could help.
Examples
- If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.
- If she knew the answer, she would tell us.
- What would you do if you were rich?
- If I were you, I would call him.
- They would help us if they could.
- If it were warmer, we would go swimming.
Common mistakes
- “Would” in the if-clause: If I would have time… → If I had time…
- The present in the if-clause: If I have time, I would go → If I had time, I would go.
- “If I was” is common in speech, but “If I were” is preferred in formal English.