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The second conditional
If I had enough money, I would buy that diamond necklace.
Definition
The second conditional refers to events that are not likely to happen in the future or to conditions that are not possible in the present.
Construction
If + past tense + modal verb in the simple past form + bare infinitive.
If they had more money, they would buy a new a new car.
'Were' is usually used for all forms of 'be' in the 'if' clause.
If they were rich, they would buy a new a new car.
Uses
| Use | Examples |
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Hypothesis |
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If the airline lost my luggage, I would need to buy a suit for the meeting. This is a hypothetical situation and the speaker may not even be travelling. Contrast this with a first conditional sentence. 'If the airline loses my luggage, I will need to buy a suit'. In this case the speaker feels that there is a real risk that the airline will lose his luggage.
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Contingency | |
What would you do if you had to choose another career? |
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Wishing | |
If I won the lottery, I'd buy a boat and cruise the world. |
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Suggesting |
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I think it would be better if we sent a small sample to the customers.
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Advising |
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If I were you, I'd apply for a promotion. |
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Criticism |
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If this were my office, I'd tidy it up. |
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Polite request |
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Would it be all right, if I brought a friend with me?
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Formality
It is considered grammatically correct to use 'were' for all forms of 'be' in conditional sentences, but in spoken English you will often hear 'was' for I, he, she and it.
If I was rich, I would buy a boat.
If he wasn't so busy, he could have a holiday.
We would go to the park, if it wasn't raining.
In written English and certainly for any test situation, use 'were' for all forms of 'be'.
