Second conditional: Unreal situations
Learn how to talk about imaginary situations and give advice using 'If I were you'.
- check_circleI can talk about imaginary or highly unlikely situations in the present and future.
- check_circleI can give advice using 'If I were you'.
Discover
Meet today's English in a real situation — no rules yet. Read it once and try to guess the pattern in the words in bold. Underlined words open a short definition.
Mark: I can’t believe how much homework we have for the weekend. I feel so overwhelmed.
Sarah: I know, it’s a lot. If I were you, I would start with the math assignment. It’s the hardest one.
Mark: Good idea. What would you do if you didn’t have any homework this weekend?
Sarah: Oh, that’s easy. If I had a free weekend, I would go to the beach with my friends. We would just relax and enjoy the sun. What about you?
Mark: If I didn’t have to study, I would play video games all day. Or maybe I would finally clean my room. It’s a disaster.
Sarah: Well, if your room were clean, you would feel much better! You wouldn’t be so stressed.
Mark: True. Sometimes I wish I could just win the lottery. If I won a million dollars, I would hire someone to do my homework for me!
Sarah: Don’t be ridiculous! Even if you were rich, you would still need an education. Now stop dreaming and open your math book!
Learn
Now the rules behind what you just saw — explained simply, with examples. Underlined words open a short definition — hover on desktop, tap on a phone.
The second conditional is used to talk about imaginary, unreal, or highly unlikely situations in the present or future. It describes things that are not true right now, but we are imagining what would happen if they were.
If I won the lottery, I would travel the world. (I haven’t won the lottery, so I’m not traveling the world. I’m just imagining it.)
How to form the second conditional
The second conditional has two parts: the if-clause (the imaginary condition) and the main clause (the imaginary result).
If-clause: If + subject + past simple Main clause: subject + would (’d) + base verb
If I had more free time, I’d read more books. I would buy a big house if I had enough money. If she were the boss, she would fire him.
The order of the clauses doesn’t matter. If you start with the if-clause, use a comma. If you start with the main clause, don’t use a comma.
“If I were…”
In the second conditional, when the verb in the if-clause is to be, we usually use were for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they), especially in formal English.
If she were here, she would know what to do. If I were rich, I would buy a yacht.
Giving advice: “If I were you…”
We often use the phrase “If I were you” to give advice. We are imagining ourselves in the other person’s situation.
A: I’m so tired. B: If I were you, I would go to bed early.
Common mistake: Don’t use would in the if-clause.
If I would have money, I would buy a car.
If I had money, I would buy a car.
- Use: To talk about unreal, imaginary, or highly unlikely present/future situations.
- Form: If + past simple, … would (’d) + base verb.
- Advice: Use “If I were you, I would…” to give advice to someone.
- To be: Use “were” for all subjects in the if-clause (e.g., If I were, If she were).
Practice
Try it yourself. You'll see right away whether you got it right, plus a short explanation of why.
Use It
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Before you finish — be honest. Can you do these now?