If I could cook, I would cook every day.

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Conditionals Part 2

Advanced

In Part 1, we learned about the 0 and 1st Conditionals. In this part, we will learn to use the 2nd Conditional and the 3rd Conditional to talk about things that are much less likely to happen.

Exercise 1

Sentence Practice

2nd Conditional

If I were rich, I would buy a huge house.
If I had a big house, I would hire maids to clean my rooms.

3rd Conditional

If I had watched TV, I would have known what happened.
If I had known, I would have done something about it.

Grammar Focus

Remember: Conditional forms are used to wonder about something that can happen, or to express that some action can only take place if something else is done first.

2nd Conditional:

We use the 2nd Conditional to talk about an event that is not likely to happen. The form of the 2nd Conditional is: If + past tense verb, + would + verb.

event that is not likely to happen → probable result
If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world.

3rd Conditional:

The 3rd conditional is used to imagine the possible results of an event that did not actually happen. The form of the 3rd Conditional is: If + past perfect +, (would have + past participle).

event that did not happen → possible past result
If I had studied hard, I would have gotten a good grade.

Tip

You can also put the 'if' clause at the end of the sentence. For example: "I would have gotten a good grade if I had studied hard." or "I would travel around the world if I won the lottery."

Exercise 2

Dialogue Practice

Read the dialogues aloud with your tutor.

If I were rich

	Yan-ting What would you do if you had a million dollars?
	Nina If I had a million dollars, I would give half of it to charity. What about you?
	Yan-ting If I had a million dollars, I would travel around the world.

Deciding on a Job

	Zach I got offers from Microsoft and Apple. Microsoft is giving me a more senior position.
	James If I were you, I would take Microsoft's offer.

The Day after a Movie Night

	Emily I wish we hadn't watched such a scary movie last night!
	Chloe Yeah, I wouldn't have had a nightmare if we hadn't watched that movie!

Health

Mr. Adachi is weighing himself on a scale.
	Akio Adachi What?! The scale says I am now 70 kilograms! I was just 65 last year.
	Kyoko Adachi You would not have gained weight if you had exercised more.

Exercise 3

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate form of the (verb): past tense or perfect past tense.

Example

If I (can) fly, I would fly all around the world. → "could"

If she (win) the singing competition, she would be famous.

If you (meet) Jake, you would have remembered him.

If you (remind) me, I would have remembered to come!

If I (know) he was coming to the party, I would not have come.

If you ( not eat) so much junk food, you would not have gained so much weight.

Exercise 4

Sentence Building

Answer these questions using the 2nd Conditional: 'If + past tense verb + would + verb'.

Example

If you had a lot of money, what would you do? → "If I had a lot of money, I would buy a house for my family."

If you had a son, what would you name him?
If you had a daughter, what would you name her?
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
If you could have any job, what would it be?
If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?
If you had a lot of money, what would you do?