Using the second conditional to talk about imaginary situations

Hi, everyone. I’m Jiri.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m already dreaming

about all the things I want to do this year.

And it’s only the beginning of the year!

In this bite-sized lesson, you’ll learn how to speak about

things we can only dream about.

Being able to relax is very important for everyone.

This activity, called guided imagery,

can help you with relaxation, and also improve your English.

Now, follow my instructions.

Close your eyes and imagine you are in a peaceful place.

What are you doing?

Who are you with?

How do you feel?

Okay, open your eyes.

What did you see?

I imagined chatting to my friends on

the beach feeling relaxed.

If I had the opportunity, I would go to Australia.

Did you catch that?

Which verbs did I use in my sentence?

Decide before I blink three times.

Well done.

B is correct.

This sentence is an example of the second conditional.

Have a look at my sentence again.

Am I dreaming of going to Australia, or am I

really going to Australia?

A dream or the reality?

Yes, it’s just a dream right now.

Does this sentence show what I’m dreaming of now,

or what I dreamt of in the past?

Present or past?

Well done, what I’m dreaming of now.

So this is how we make the second conditional.

If with past simple, and would or wouldn’t

with an infinitive without to.

In speaking, people often use the short form of would.

I’d, he’d, we’d.

If I went back in time, I’d go to the 1980s.

You will also often hear the phrase, if I could,

if I could, meaning if it was possible for me.

If I could be an animal, I’d be a seal.

If I could speak to seals, I’d tell them about my life.

And that’s why I love water.

Also, we say if I were you, to give advice.

You can check out Andres’s video on this topic.

Finally, can I do this?

Yes, you can switch the clauses around.

If it was Christmas, this bridge would be

full of tourists.

If I wore shorts in the winter,

I’d be freezing.

If I could be any movie character,

I’d be Wolverine from X-Men.

If I could be any movie character,

I’d be Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons.

Okay, let’s practise and see if you can use

the second conditional now.

In this activity, guess the missing

part of a sentence which I give you.

You’ll have five seconds to do this,

and I’ll help you by acting it out.

If I won a million, I’d travel the world.

I’d be very sad if somebody ate my pizza.

My Colombian wife would be happy if I learned to dance merengue.

Yes!

Okay, now that we’ve practised, let’s recap.

So remember, whenever you want

to speak about dreams and unreal situations,

think of this video and use what we’ve learnt.

And if you can master this, you can show just how much

you know in your writing and speaking exams.

How about you?

If you could be any movie character,

who would you be, and why?

Write us in the comments below.

If you enjoyed this video, hit the like button

and subscribe to the channel.

Thanks for watching, and see you next time.