Grammar: B1 - ✨ Grammar Essentials: 🧩 Parts of Speech & 🏗️ Sentence Structure - Lesson 12: Second Conditional (Hypothetical present/future: If I had money, I would travel.)

✨ Lesson 12: The Second Conditional (Hypothetical Situations)

We have learned that the First Conditional is for real future possibilities. Today, we will learn the Second Conditional¹, which we use for hypothetical² or imaginary³ situations in the present or future.

We use this conditional for dreaming, wishing, and giving advice about situations that are not real right now.

The Structure: If + Past Simple, ... would + Base Verb

The structure for the Second Conditional is very specific. This is a very important point: we use the Past Simple in the 'if' clause, but we are talking about the present or future, not the past.

If + [Condition in Past Simple], + [Result with 'would' + Base Verb].

Examples of Hypothetical Situations:

• If I had a million dollars, I would travel the world.
  (Reality: I don't have a million dollars, so this is a dream).
• We would go to the beach if Siem Reap had a beach.
  (Reality: Siem Reap does not have a beach).
• If I knew the answer, I would tell you.
  (Reality: I don't know the answer).

Giving Advice with "If I were you..."

A very common and polite way to give strong advice⁴ is to use the phrase "If I were you...".

Grammar Note: In the Second Conditional, it is grammatically correct and very common to use were for all subjects (I, he, she, it). "If I was..." is sometimes used in informal speech, but "If I were..." is preferred.

• If I were you, I would see a doctor about that cough.

First vs. Second Conditional

Conditional	Use	Example
First	Real Possibility	If I have enough money, I will buy that book. (It's possible)
Second	Unreal / Hypothetical	If I had a lot of money, I would buy a car. (It's a dream)

🧠 Practice Quiz: Complete the Sentences

Complete the sentences with the correct verb forms for the Second Conditional.

1. If I (have) ______ more time, I (learn) ______ another language.
   → had, would learn
2. What ______ you ______ (do) if you (win) ______ the lottery?
   → would you do, won
3. If he (be) ______ here, he (know) ______ what to do.
   → were, would know

📝 Homework: What Would You Do?

Complete these sentences with your own ideas. Use the Second Conditional.

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1. If I could travel anywhere, I ________________________________.

2. If I were the leader of a country, I __________________________.

3. The world would be a better place if __________________________.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Second Conditional: (Phrase) - ប្រយោគលក្ខខណ្ឌទីពីរ (brâyoŭk leăk'khăn ti pii) - A sentence structure for unreal or imaginary situations. ↩
2. Hypothetical: (Adjective) - ជាការសន្មត (chea kaa sân'mât) - Imagined or suggested but not necessarily real or true. ↩
3. Imaginary: (Adjective) - ក្នុងจินตนาการ (knong chentana'kaa) - Existing only in the imagination. ↩
4. Advice: (Noun) - ការណែនាំ (kaa nea'num) - An opinion you give someone about what they should do. ↩