La Amortajada

Liceo N° 1 de Niñas Javiera Carrera

Miss Carolina Saavedra Reyes

English Department

Unit 4: LOOKS

GRAMMAR

SECOND CONDITIONAL

The second conditional (also called conditional type 2) is a structure used for talking about unreal situations in the present or in the future. This page will explain how the second conditional is formed, and when to use it.
The structure of a secondconditional sentence
Like a first conditional, a second conditional sentence consists of two clauses, an "if" clause and a main clause:
|IF clause |main clause |
|If I had a million dollars, |I would buy a big house. |


If the "if" clause comes first, a comma is usually used. If the "if" clause comes second, there isno need for a comma:
|IF clause |main clause |
|I would buy a big house |if I had a million dollars. |


Examples:

• If he were in my place, he wouldn't do this.
Si él estuviese en mi lugar, no haría esto.
• If I had more money, I would buy a nice apartment.
Si yo tuviese más dinero, me compraríaun lindo apartamento.
• If she had more time, she would travel more often.
Si ella tuviera más tiempo, viajaría más a menudo.
• If it were not raining, we could go out.
Si no estuviese lloviendo, podríamos salir.
THIRD CONDITIONAL


The structure of a third conditional sentence

Like the other conditionals, a third conditional sentence consists of two clauses, an"if" clause and a main clause:

| if clause |main clause |explanation |
|If I had studied harder, |I would have passed the exam. |I failed the exam, because I didn't study hard enough. |


If the "if" clause comes first, a comma is usually used. If the "if" clause comessecond, there is no need for a comma:
 
|main clause |if clause |
|I probably would have passed the exam |if I had studied harder. |


We use different verb forms in each part of a third conditional:
 
|if clause |if + subject + past perfect verb*|
|main clause |subject + would (OR could, OR might) have + past participle |


*The past perfect is formed with the auxiliary verb "had", and the past participle (or third form) of the verb.
Note also that third conditional forms can be contracted:
 
|Full form |If I had studied harder, I probably would have passed the exam.|
|Contracted form |If I'd studied harder, I probably would've passed the exam. |


 
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Using the third conditional

The third conditional is used to talk about things which DID NOT HAPPEN in the past. If your native language does not have a similar construction, you may find this a little strange, but it can bevery useful. It is often used to express criticism or regret:

| Example |Explanation |
|If you had driven more carefully, you would not have had an |Criticism: You had an accident because you didn't drive carefully |
|accident.|enough. |
|If we had played a little better, we could have won the game. |Regret: We didn't play well, so we lost the game. |
|If you had saved your money, you could have bought a computer. |Criticism: You didn't save your money, so now you can't afford a |
|...