جملات شرطی دوم

2nd Conditional

Aly, if you were an animal, what would you be? Oh! You’d be a dog So that question that Tom just asked me “If you were an animal, what would you be?” That situation is real? or imaginary? Of course it’s imaginary! and for this, for Imaginary situations We use the 2nd conditional Now what’s the form of the 2nd conditional?

Well it looks like this: The imaginary situation has “If with a past verb” and the imaginary result has “would and the verb is in the infinitive form”. So just remember: This is for Imaginary situations. Look at the form again. It has a past verb with “if” but it doesn’t mean the situation is in the past. The Situation’s now or in the future, but imaginary. So, you see “if” with a past verb, it just means an imaginary situation happening now or in the future. So let’s imagine something different. This place is pretty boring, there’s nothing really happening Nothing here! OK so let’s do this class in a different place! I want snow, I want trees, I love Christmas. Let’s go to Norway!

OK so imagine If (imagine I’m in Norway) If I was in Norway now, I’d be happy in the snow. But remember, this situation It’s imaginary, it’s not real! I know you’re thinking “Why didn’t I say if I WERE in Norway?” Well you can! You can also say If she/he/it (the third person) were in the place. That’s completely fine! If you say If I/he/she/it were in a place, that is called the subjunctive mood and the difference is formality. If you use the subjunctive mood it’s more formal, basically however if you just say “if I was…”, “if he she it was…” It’s more common, and that’s what you hear more often. Basically, in a test use subjunctive mood, it’s more correct. In real life its more common that we use “If I was…” “if he/she/it was…” So Okay, back to Norway!

Okay I’m imagining “If I was in the snow, I’d be thinking…” You know it’s really cold here! And now I want to be some place hot. Where am I?! This is too hot! This is like the desert! No! okay imagine a different place. OK “If I was on a beach. Yep this is exactly what I wanted! So “If I was on a beach, well Tom would be here.” We’re on a beach! Yeah we are! Second Conditional??? Yep, Second Conditional! Righto. So “If we were on a beach, we wouldn’t be wearing this.” Yeah I wouldn’t be wearing a suit. Now we’re ready for the beach! Well except one thing What? If we were on a beach, We’d have some beer Beer?

Beer! hey! Cheers! So if we were on a beach, and we had beer, we’d get drunk! Cheers! So just remember: The form “if” plus a past verb just means “an imaginary situation” Happening now or in the future Now you know the second conditional, time for a test. See you in the next class.