Second Conditional - Wishful Thinking and Advice

In this lecture we look at the second conditional we look at when to use it how it’s formed and we give some examples so we use the second conditional for unlikely or even impossible situations and their results we use it to wish for different present and future and also to give advice.

The second conditional has the following format.

If plus simple past then present conditional or present continuous conditional.

If this happened this would happen or if this happened.

This would be happening and as with all conditionals the order is not fixed.

So you can switch the if and main clause around and keep the same meaning.

Please pay attention to pronouns and punctuation so here are some examples of impossible or unlikely situations with a different present or future.

If it wasn’t raining we would be playing outside well.

The thing is it is raining and that’s why we can’t play outside.

Or if I was president I would give everyone tea.

While I’m not president and the chances of me being president are very unlikely to zero and that’s why everybody’s not being given tea and the last one in this group.

If I had more time I would do more sport.

Well the thing is I don’t have more time and that’s my excuse for not doing more sport so the other way which is second conditional is use is to give it advice and there’s a certain amount of overlap with the first one in terms of impossible situations as we will see.

For instance if I were you I would leave your job.

Well I can’t be you.

I mean that’s the impossible part here.

And despite what some sometimes really bad films in the late 80s and early 90s would have you believe we can’t swallow.

So it’s really it’s some advice saying yeah you really should leave your job.

The second was I would lose some weight if I were you.

Again I can’t be you but its suggesting you need to lose some weight.

And the third one perhaps a bit mean for the ladies.

If I were you I would change your hairdresser it’s like like what’s going on up there you know really you need it.

You need a new stylist and please note here the use self.

If I were you instead if I was you are you.

You hear both but if I were you is in this particular case the preferred version and that concludes our lecture on the second conditional.