Second conditional

Form

If + past simple/continuous + would

Functions and examples

We use the second conditional to talk about situations or actions in the present or future, which are not likely to happen or are imaginary, hypothetical or impossible.

If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world and buy a castle in Norway.
-- I think that it is very unlikely that I will win the lottery. However, in this unlikely condition, I will travel and buy a castle

If I wasn't watching TV now, I would be playing football.
-- I am watching TV, and imagining what I would do if I wasn't

If I were an alien, I would be able to travel around the universe.
-- It is impossible for me to be an alien. However, I am imagining what I would do in this situation

Important points

We can use other modal verbs in place of 'would'.

If I had more money, I could buy a car.
-- Buying a car would be possible

If I won the lottery, I might give all the money to charity.
-- Giving the money to charity is only a possibility

See also: 0 conditional / 1st conditional / 3rd conditional

Teaching Second conditional

•   The easiest (and probably most used) example is the lottery...
  
  Start off by asking students about the lotto in their country. You could even make the whole lesson themed around this, maybe with a text about the lottery to start off for some reading comprehension. (Do a search for "lottery" on the internet and you'll find plenty of news stories about people who've won big).
  
  Next, ask students what they would do if they won the lottery. Don't worry about correct form in their answers at this stage - the important thing is that they get the gist of the question (I'm yet to meet a student who hasn't understood the gist of "If you won the lottery, what would you do?") Develop some of their answers, maybe making another question out of it: "Oh, so if you bought a new car, what kind of car would you buy?"
  
  After a time, ask them if they think they are going to win the lottery in the future, or if it's just imagination. Most, hopefully, will say it's just imagination, it's extremely unlikely they'll ever win.
  
  Now, highlight the form on the board, and then ask them some other examples: "If you lived on Mars, what would you eat?" "If you were an animal, which animal would you be?" etc etc. This time, make sure they answer with the correct form.
  
  Then, have them think of five questions to ask their partner. By making them form their own questions, you are making sure that they understand we're talking about the future, and about hypothetical situations.
  
  A board game with second conditional questions works well for some freer practice in groups."
  Daniel
  
•   I teach second conditional by using cards in which you present hypothetical situations. You write half of the conditional and the students have to complete them. You can do this activity individually or in groups."
  Javier
  
•   Listen to the song "If I had a million dollars" by the Barenaked Ladies. It's full of second conditional. Do a gap fill as you listen to it."
  Anonymous
  
•   When students have grasped the structure, it's fun to play "Crazy Sentences". In this game, the class is divided in two. Half write one part of the conditional sentence (the "if" part). The other half write the second part on separate slips of paper. You gather the slips (maintaining the groups) in two bags or hats. One by one each student takes a pair and reads aloud the "crazy sentence". Some examples are: "If I had a dog I would give it to charity." If I travelled to Mars, I would buy twenty pairs of shoes." It brings lots of fun to the classroom and can be played using other grammar structures. Hope you liked it! Virginia."
  Virginia
  
•   I use a powerpoint slide show with normal situations, and then unlikely situations, introducing the second conditional and then eliciting answers. Also songs are really useful. Specially Mariah Carey´s "All I've ever wanted" and Eric Clapton's "Tears in heaven".
  Anonymous
  
•   I use the song If I were a carpenter by Johnny and June Cash...
  It starts:
  Johnny Cash: If I were a carpenter
  And you were a lady,
  Would you marry me anyway?
  Would you have my baby?
  June Carter: If you were a carpenter,
  And I were a lady,
  I'd marry you anyway.
  I'd have your baby."
  James
  
•   Using images (from clip art) and a matching activity.
  I organize images on the left of the page and the matching exercise on the right. One of the images, for instance is of a man thinking, and inside the thinking bubble I place a picture of a pop star. I place "if clauses" on the top line of a table and their main clauses on the bottom line. Students match each "if clause" with its proper main clause, using the pictures as a guide. Once the activity is done, draw students' attention to the structure of the sentences and their meaning. I use a similar activity to teach first conditional, so students are already familiar with the idea of conditional sentences... condition, result, etc. Finaly, we compare structures and uses of both types of conditionals."
  Graciela
  
•   You can ask your students to do a questionnaire about funny (imaginary) situations and give them a,b,c options.
  
  For example: If you knew your sister's most important secret, would you...
  a. tell everybody
  b. keep it a secret
  c. ask her for money to keep it a secret
  
  Students like this kind of activity! Good luck!"
  Clau
  
•   I use "Into My Arms" by Nick Cave. Hand out the lyrics with gaps in it for the students to fill in. Get them to listen to the song and go through the lyrics. They understand the conditional quickly because the song explains the unreality of the situation very well.
  Nevena
  
•   You can use If I were a boy by Beyonce... it's full of second conditional!"
  Larissa
  
•   If your class is a good level, a good song challenge is Gwen Stefani's If i were a rich girl - erase all verbs and they can spend ten minutes predicting, then listen twice. I always include a few culture questions at the the end too, like where is Harajuku and why are the girls famous? (if you don't know, google image harajuku and you'll get some great visuals to explain the answer with). Also, good vocab like clean out, mansion, fancy..."
  Erin
  

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