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Conditionals - 1st and 2nd

What’s the difference between first and second conditional? When can you use them both? When it’s the right time to use this one or this one? Hmm Well, the short answer: first conditional, we use that conditional for realistic situations. When something is likely to happen it has a strong possibility of really happening.

So a real situation. For example, in London it rains a lot, so if we talk about the possibility of rain today then I would use a first conditional because that possibility is strong. It’s very likely that it will rain. So I use a first conditional in this form: If it rains today, I’ll stay at home. The form if with a present verb: rains.

Rains because it, and the result of that condition is in the future I will or I’m going to both are okay. Again I use this because in London Nah… always rains. And the second conditional, we use that to talk about imaginary or hypothetical situations. Maybe that situation is not likely to happen.

Not a good possibility of it happening Or maybe it’s impossible. For example, if I imagine that superman comes here now. That’s not realistic. It’s not possible. So I would use a second conditional sentence. If Superman came here now -that sounds a bit strange- We’re using a past verb with now. Well, if with a past verb. That’s talking about imaginary situations now or in the future.

So if superman came here now, I would say hello. Hello! - First of all, you’re not real. - I am real. - No, you’re not. I’m imagining you… you… this is in my head. - I’m going crazy or something. - Working too hard? Yeah, probably. Anyway, hello! and that’s why I use second conditional. So now you know the difference; first conditional, real situations very likely to happen. Second conditional, not really likely to happen. Imaginary maybe impossible situations. So now you know the difference.

You can use them to give your opinion about some situation. For example. This guy wants to ask this girl to marry him And he looks pretty optimistic that she is going to say yes, right? But this guy, his friend. He’s not so optimistic. He’s quite pessimistic. He thinks she will say no. Hmm, so they’re going to say the same thing but giving their opinion using conditionals. He thinks saying yes is a real possibility. So he’ll use the first conditional. ‘If she says yes, I’ll be happy!’ Remember, he thinks this is a real situation her saying yes. This guy, however, mmM… She won’t say yes.

No, but… Yeah, you know. In my imagination, if we imagine she says yes, I don’t think she’ll say yes, but if she said yes, I’d be happy. Yeah. Hmm. I don’t know. Looking at her face, I don’t know. Is she going to say yes or no? Who knows? It’s a mystery. So knowing that, knowing the difference, try writing your own first and second conditional sentences in the comments.