Second conditional: what would you do? Second conditional exercises for imagined situations
About this lesson
This B1 drill lesson gives second conditional exercises for things that aren't true now or probably won't happen: if + past simple, would + verb, and advice with If I were you.
- Grammar
- If + past simple with would ('d) + verb in either order, negatives, were for every person (was accepted too), could for can, and Would you…? questions with short answers.
- Topic
- Imaginary choices: an invented magazine's quiz, What would you do?, readers' comments, an advice column, answers about being invisible, an email and a chat with Zinnia.
- Activities
- True or false, sorting, choices, gap-fills, drag-and-drop, matching, word order, tables, quizzes, a memory game and a chat, all checked automatically.
What's inside
Chapter 1The rule
Chapter 2If I had…, I'd…
- Fill in the gaps: if + past simpleFill in the gapsTry it
- Fill in the gaps: would + verbFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: be and can in the if partChoose the optionUnlock
- Drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Put the words in the right orderUnjumbleUnlock
- Read Cornelius's essay and fill in the gaps: past simple and wouldFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3Would you…? I wouldn't…
- Fill in the gaps: negative sentencesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: positive, negative, questionFill in the tableTry it
- Put the words in order to make questionsUnjumbleUnlock
- Choose the right short answerChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right question for each answerQuizUnlock
- Write the question for the answerFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the questions and the answersMatchUnlock
Chapter 4If I were you…
- Choose the right form: adviceChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: If I were you, I'd…Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: the truth and the dreamFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Read the conversation and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: adviceUnjumbleUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: What would you do?
- Read the magazine's quizReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the quiz and the comments again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read the advice column and fill in the gaps: past simple and wouldFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the readers' answers and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Clotilde's email and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Zinnia texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: a year offChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: past simple and wouldFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: what if?UnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: + − ?Fill in the tableUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: the problem and the adviceMemory gameUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Drag the words into the gaps: what would you do?Drag and dropUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: what if?MatchUnlock
- Find the mistake in each sentenceQuizUnlock
- Write the questions: what would you do?Fill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: from the truth to the dreamFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Mortimer's review and fill in the gaps: past simple and wouldFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Fiorella's forum post and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Florentyna's email and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the correct sentence: the second conditionalQuizUnlock
Grammar: the second conditional for imagined situations
The second conditional imagines a different present or an unlikely future: If I won a million dollars, I'd buy a farm. The if part takes the past simple, though the meaning is now or later, not the past. The result takes would + verb, the same for every person.
Second conditional: what would you do?
Imagine a different now or an unlikely future: if + past simple, would + verb.
If + past simple, would + verb
If she knew the answer, she would tell us. Start with if and add a comma; put the if part second and the comma goes: I'd help if I had time. Would never goes in the if part.
if + past simple, would + verb
if + subject + past simplesubject + would ('d) + verb
If I had a car, I'd drive you home.
If she knew the answer, she would tell us.
We would go to the beach if it were warmer.
Order and comma: no would after if
The if part can come first or second. First: use a comma (If I had time, I'd help.). Second: no comma (I'd help if I had time.). would never goes in the if part: If I had time… (Not: If I would have time… · If I will have time…)
Not true now, unlikely, or advice
Use it for a present that isn't real (I don't have a car → If I had a car, I'd drive you), for a future you don't expect (If I won a million dollars…) and for advice with If I were you: If I were you, I'd call her.
Not true now
- I don't have a car. → If I had a car, I'd drive you.
- She doesn't know. → If she knew, she'd be angry.
Probably won't happen
- If I won a million dollars, I'd buy a farm.
- If I could fly, I'd never take the bus.
Advice
- If I were you, I'd call her.
- If I were you, I wouldn't wait.
Were or was?
With be, were is the standard form for every person: If it were warmer… Everyday American English accepts was too (If I was rich…), but advice almost always keeps If I were you.
were or was?
With be, were is the standard form for every person: If I were rich… If it were warmer… In everyday American English, was is fine too: If I was rich… For advice, people almost always say If I were you, I'd…
Negatives, questions and short answers
Negatives take didn't and wouldn't: If I didn't have a job, I wouldn't get up early. Can becomes could: If I could fly… Questions start with would: Would you keep it? Short answers never end in 'd: Yes, I would.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Positive (+) | If I had more time, I would learn Spanish. · … I'd learn Spanish. |
| Negative (−) | If I didn't have a job, I wouldn't get up early. (wouldn't = would not) |
| be → were | If I were rich, … · If she were here, … · If it were warmer, … |
| can → could | If I could fly, I'd fly to work every day. |
| Question (?) | What would you do if you found a wallet? · Would you keep it? |
| Short answers | Yes, I would. · No, I wouldn't. (Not: Yes, I'd.) |
| Every person | I'd · you'd · he'd · she'd · we'd · they'd: would is the same for all |
Common mistakes
Watch for If I would have more money, If I will win the game, I would to buy a boat and She would went to the party. After would comes the base form, with no to.
If I would have more money, I would travel.
If I had more money, I would travel.
no would in the if part: if + past simple
If I will win the game, I'd be so happy.
If I won the game, I'd be so happy.
no will in the if part: past simple
I would to buy a boat.
I would buy a boat.
would + verb, no to
She would went to the party if she had time.
She would go to the party if she had time.
would + base form: go, not went
could and might
could (= would be able to) and might (= maybe would) can take the place of would: If I had a car, I could drive you. If you asked her, she might say yes. In this lesson, practice would.
Examples
- If I had a dog, I'd walk it every morning.not true now: I don't have a dog
- If our TV worked, we'd watch the game at home.not true now: the TV is broken
- If I won the lottery, I wouldn't stop working.probably won't happen
- If I were you, I'd take the job.advice
- What would you do if you met a famous singer?question
- Would you live in a big city if you could? — Yes, I would.question and short answer
More lessons on this grammar: Second conditional lessons and exercises
Try the second conditional exercises
Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.
What's in the lesson
- 40 auto-checked exercises
- 5 games
- 1 real-life document
- 1 grammar scheme
- 1 picture
The main objectives of this lesson are to:
- build the second conditional: past simple after if, would + verb in the result: If I had a car, I'd drive you home.
- keep would and will out of the if part: If I won the game, I'd be so happy, not If I will win the game
- use were for be and could for can: If it were warmer, we'd eat outside. If I could fly…
- ask What would you do if…? and answer Yes, I would or No, I wouldn't, never Yes, I'd
- give advice with If I were you: If I were you, I wouldn't eat that fish.
- Grammar:
- second conditional · if + past simple, would + verb · If I were you · would
- Topic:
- grammar practice · imaginary situations · advice · magazine quiz
Teaching tips
- Run the magazine quiz as a class poll: read out the five situations, students answer with I'd… or I wouldn't…, then count the angels, realists and rebels in the room.
- Turn the memory game into advice: one student says a line from the memory game (My plants keep dying.) and the next answers with If I were you, I'd… from memory.
- Flip the truth into a dream: write I don't have a dog, so I'm lonely on the board and let pairs change both halves: If I had a dog, I wouldn't be so lonely.
Liked it?
Teach the whole lesson in edio
45 exercises in 6 chapters, ready to teach. edio is an online platform for language schools and teachers: ready-made interactive lessons, live classes, homework and student progress in one place.
Start a free trial
7 days, no credit card.
Open the lesson
Find it in the library of 621 ready lessons. Teach it as it is, or copy any chapter into your own lessons.
Teach it live or as homework
Students work in their own accounts, in sync with you during the lesson, and the practice exercises check themselves.
The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B1
English Grammar Practice · B1 has 28 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the present perfect continuous, narrative tenses, future forms, modals of deduction, the second conditional, the passive, relative clauses, reported speech, question tags and linkers. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course
- 1Present perfect continuous: how long have you been doing it?
- 2Present perfect simple or continuous: how many or how long?
- 3Past perfect: what had happened before?
- 4Narrative tenses: telling a great story
- 5Future forms: plans, promises and timetables
- 6Future time clauses: I'll call you when I land
- 7Used to, be used to, get used to: settling in
- 8Modal verbs: can, must, should or might?
- 9Could, was able to, managed to: did you make it?
- 10Modals of deduction: whose bag could it be?
- 11Second conditional: what would you do?
- 12Conditionals compared: real or imagined?
- 13Present and past passive: how is it made?
- 14Passive in other tenses: what's being done?
- 15Relative clauses: the person who, the place where
- 16Reported statements: who said what?
- 17Reported questions and commands: what did they ask you?
- 18Indirect questions: could you tell me where it is?
- 19Question tags: it's your first day, isn't it?
- 20Gerunds and infinitives: enjoy doing or decide to do?
- 21Reflexive pronouns: did you make it yourself?
- 22Although, however, despite: great view, tiny room
- 23So, such and because of: what a storm!
- 24Phrasal verbs: who's going to clean it up?
- 25All, both, either, neither, none: two or a whole group?
- 26-ed and -ing adjectives: bored or boring?
- 27Advanced comparatives: the more, the better
- 28Articles with place names: the Nile, but Lake Como