The Second Conditional: Conditional Sentences Type 2 Usage & Examples

If you are going to be talking about something that has a possibility of occurring but is unlikely then you will require the use of the second conditional. An example of this type of sentence might be ‘If my sister won the lottery, she would give me half of her winnings.’

In this section, we are going to be looking at the second conditional in a lot more depth and gaining a greater understanding of its purpose and function. This will then enable you to use it much more more confidently in your spoken and written English.

What Is the Second Conditional?

Second Conditional
Second Conditional – Created by 7ESL

Like a first conditional, a second conditional sentence consists of two clauses, an ‘if‘ clause and a main clause. We use different verb forms in each part of a 2nd conditional:

Second Conditional FormIf + Past Simple, Present Conditional (would/wouldn’t + Verb (bare form)).
 
For example:
  • If I won a million dollars, I would buy a new car.

Note that this “past simple” form is slightly different from usual in the case of the verb BE. Whatever the subject, the verb form is “were”, not “was”.

Second conditional examples:

  • If I were you, I would quit smoking.
  • If I were the president, I would lower taxes.

If the ‘if‘ clause comes first, a comma is usually used. If the ‘if‘ clause comes second, there is no need for a comma.

For example:

  • They would stay longer if they had more time.

Sometimes it’s possible to use ‘should’, ‘could‘ or ‘might’ in place of ‘would‘.

For example:

  • If I had more free time, I could travel around the world.
  • If I won a million dollars, I could stop working.

Negative form:

  • If clause: If I didn’t study, I would fail the exam.
  • Main clause: If they had more money, they wouldn’t live here.

Question form:

  • What would you do if you won the lottery?
  • If you had superpowers, what would they be?

How to Use the Second Conditional

The conditional sentences type 2 is used to talk about things which are unreal (not true or not possible) in the present or the future – things which don’t or won’t happen.

For example:

  • If I had a car, I would drive it every day.

When to use the second conditional:

  • To talk about unlikely or impossible situations:
    If I lived on Mars, I would see two moons every night.
  • To imagine different circumstances:
    If I had a million dollars, I would start my own business.
  • To give advice or express regret:
    If I were you, I would take that job.

Common mistakes:

Don’t mix the second conditional with other conditional structures. For example:

  • Incorrect: If I have more time, I would travel.
  • Correct: If I had more time, I would travel.

Related terms:

Conditionals in English