Second Conditional: What Would You Do? (B1)
August 3, 2026 · Sourov · 3 min read
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B1 ⏱ 5 minutes
Second Conditional: What Would You Do?
“If I hadn’t left Bangladesh, I would never have worked as a sommelier in Sydney, and I would never have held my daughter — born in La Réunion — in my arms for the first time.” Sometimes I sit and think about the roads not taken. The second conditional is the grammar of those moments — the hypothetical, the imagined, the what-if.
🎯 Aim: By the end of this lesson you will be able to construct second conditional sentences to talk about hypothetical present or future situations that are unlikely or imaginary.
🔑 The Form
| Clause | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| If-clause (condition) | If + subject + past simple | If I lived in Sydney… |
| Main clause (result) | Subject + would + base verb | …I would visit Bondi Beach every day. |
Tip: The clauses can swap order. When the if-clause comes second, no comma is needed.
📖 Examples
- If I lived closer to the ocean, I would go swimming every morning.
- If she spoke French, it would be easier to settle in Paris.
- What would you do if you had a year off work?
- I wouldn’t take the job if the salary were too low.
- If they moved abroad, they would miss their family enormously.
💡 Key Rules
- The situation is unreal or unlikely now — not a real plan.
- Use past simple in the if-clause, NOT would: ✗ If I would have… → ✓ If I had…
- Would can contract to ‘d: I’d go / She’d visit.
- For the verb be, were is preferred in formal writing: If I were you…
✏️ Practice Task
Complete the second conditional sentences using the verbs in brackets.
- If I ________ (have) more free time, I ________ (learn) a new language.
- She ________ (travel) more if she ________ (not be) so busy.
- What ________ you ________ (do) if you ________ (win) the lottery?
- If he ________ (live) near the sea, he ________ (go) sailing every weekend.
- They ________ (move) to France if they ________ (speak) French fluently.
Show Answers
- If I had more free time, I would learn a new language.
- She would travel more if she weren’t so busy.
- What would you do if you won the lottery?
- If he lived near the sea, he would go sailing every weekend.
- They would move to France if they spoke French fluently.
🚀 Takeaway
The second conditional lets you dream, speculate, and advise. It is perfect for conversations that start with “What would you do if…?” — one of the most engaging questions in any language.
Independent project. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification. Cambridge CELTA course completed — 120 supervised teaching hours and four written assignments validated to the required standard.
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