Mastering Second Conditional English Grammar

2. Second Conditional and Wish Clauses

3. SECOND CONDITIONAL • Some situations in the future may seem to be unreal or highly improbable. For instance –you win a huge amount of money – you become president of your country – you marry someone very famous. Such things may happen, but chances are low in reality. • SECOND CONDITIONAL is here to be used for such kind of speculations about the future or improbable situations. By using the second conditional you indicate your attitude to probability of occurrence of such a situation to your conversation partner.

4. SECOND CONDITIONAL • I would give you a lift if I had a car. • = I do not have a car so I can not give you a lift … • I would pick you up at work if I finished earlier. • = I do not believe I finish earlier so I will probably not be able to pick you up. • What would you do with the money if you won the first prize in lottery? • = You may only dream of winning the first prize in lottery .. • Where would you travel if you were given an extra week off? • = You will probably not be given an extra week off.

5. SECOND CONDITIONAL • A FEW EXAMPLES: • Would you kiss a frog if you were asked to? • What would women do if all men died out? • They would domesticate another animal … • Jack would be very surprised if he knew everything about his wife. • Where would you go if you had a free evening? • Which car would you buy, a Mercedes or a BMW? • Would you help me with a delicate matter if I needed it one day?

6. Second conditionalFIRST CONDITIONAL • I will go jogging with you if you feel like. • She will marry him if he asks her to. • Will you go out tonight if I pay some beer for you? • Will we stay in the same hotel if they offer us a better price? • Will you buy another used car if this one breaks down again? • I would run away if I had my legs all right. • She would marry him if he weren‘t so poor. • Would you go out tonight if you didn‘t have any urgent work? • Would you sleep in a haunted house if someone offered you money for it? • Would you buy a car if it weren‘t very fuel saving?

7. WISH CLAUSES • WISH CLAUSES are similar in meaning to Second Conditional. They express the situations that will probably never happen even if you want to. • I wish I knew her phone number. (… I don‘t know it) • I wish I were you. (… I can never be) • If only I could be with her. (… we are far away from eachother) • If only they could find their way back. (… they are lost) • I wish I had more money (… I am as poor as a church mouse.) • If only she loved me. (… in fact, she ignores my feelings)

8. WORKSHEET • Fill the words in brackets in a correct form • I ………… (buy) a car if I ………….. (not have) one. • She ………. (help) if she ……………. (want) to. • They …….... (arrive) on time if they ……. (catch) the bus. • Where …… you … (live), if you could settle down anywhere you …….. (want)? • She …………. (come) to our party if she ……… (be) free. • What …… you ….. (do) if you ………… (win) the Jackpot? • What school …… you ……… (choose) if you ……… (can) make your choice again? • Jane, …… you ……….. (marry) me if I …….. (ask) you to? • Paul, …… you ….. (lend) me some money if I …… (need) some? • If I ……… (be) you , I ……………… (not speak) about Jackie. • I ……… (not eat) meat if I …….. (be) a vegetarian.

9. WORKSHEET • Fill the words in brackets in a correct form • Let’s translate into English: • Co bys jí řekl, kdyby tě tu potkala? • Kam byste šli, kdybyste neměli ten dům u moře? • Co by sis koupil, kdyby ti zbývaly nějaké peníze? • Jel bys se mnou na dovolenou, kdybych tě pozval? • Opravil bys ten počítač, kdybych ti ho přinesl? • Kéž bych byl znovu v Americe. • Kéž bych tak znal její telefonní číslo. • Kdybys tu byl, pomohl bys mi. • Co bys dělal, kdybys tu teď viděl lva? • Svezl bys mě domů, kdybys měl auto? • Řekl bys mi pravdu, kdybych se tě zeptal? • Mohl bys přijít dnes večer, kdybys měl volno?

10. WORKSHEET • Possible solution: • I would buy a car if I didn‘t have one. • She would help if she wanted to. • They would arrive on time if they caught the bus. • Where would you live, if you could settle down anywhere you wanted? • She would come to our party if she were / was free. • What would you do if you won the Jackpot? • What school would you choose if you could make your choice again? • Jane, would you marry me if I asked you to? • Paul, would you lend me some money if I needed some? • If I were you, I would not speak about Jackie. • I would not eat meat if I were a vegetarian.

11. WORKSHEET • Possible solution: • What would tell her if she met you here? • Where would you go if you did not have the house by the sea? • What would you buy if you had some money left? • Would go on holiday with me if I invited you? • Would you fix the PC if I brought it to you? • I wish I were in the USA again. • I wish I knew her telephone number. • If you were here you would help me. • What would you do if you saw a lion here and now? • Would you give me a lift home if you had a car? • Would you tell me the truth if I asked you to? • Could you come tonight if you were free? 

12. REFERENCES AND SOURCES OF MATERIAL: Sources: Photo: Author References: MURPHY, Raymond. English grammar in use. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985, ISBN 05215377622. THOMSON, A.J.; MARTINET, A.V.. A Practical English grammar - fourth edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996, ISBN 0 – 19- 431348 – 4. PROCTER, Paul E. a kol. Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. England: Longman Group UK Limited, 1992, ISBN 0582842239. SPENCER, David. Gateway B1+. England: Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2011, ISBN 978-0-230-41763-2. SOARS, Liz; SOARS, John. New Headway Intermediate Workbook - the third edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010, ISBN 978-0-19-438754-5. SOARS, Liz; SOARS, John. New Headway Intermediate Workbook. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010, ISBN 0-19-470225-1.