Second conditional sentences in English: sentences with ‹if›
How it works
Second conditional sentences express what would happen if a certain condition were met, but the condition is unlikely or unreal. In English, in the subordinate clause with ‹if› one uses ‹simple past›, and in the main clause ‹would› + base form: ‹If I had more time, I would travel more.› This structure helps describe hypothetical situations, for example wishes or advice. Typical mistakes are ‹would› in the subordinate clause with ‹if› or using the wrong tense in the main clause.
In the subordinate clause with ‹if›, ‹simple past› is used; in the main clause ‹would› + base form. Example: ‹If she knew the answer, she would tell us.›
An example
Choose the correct sentence: ‹If I had a dog, I would take it for a walk every day.› or ‹If I will have a dog, I would take it for a walk every day.›?
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: English. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.