Second and Third

Conditionals

Second Conditional
Second conditional sentences are used to express hypothetical
or unrealistic events, both in the present or in the future.

Example If I won the lottery, I would/’d buy an expensive car.

The language structure is:

If + verb in the past simple, + would/could + verb in the base form

Activity 1

Match the beginning of the sentence (1-8) to an appropriate ending (a-h) using the second conditional.

1 If we didn’t have to work tomorrow, a. we could afford to travel around the world.

2 If I had a million dollars, b. you could throw more dinner parties.

3 If the weather were warmer, c. she should consider finding a new one.

4 If he had more free time, d. you should come to the party with us.

5 If we won the lottery, e. he would learn how to play the guitar.

6 If I were in your shoes, f. I would donate a portion to charity.

7 If you lived in a bigger house, g. I would take a break and relax for a while.

8 I’m just saying: if she were unhappy in her job, h. we could go for a picnic in the park.

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 Second and Third
Conditional
Activity 2

Fill in the gaps in each sentence conjugating the base form of the verb in brackets in the second conditional
(for some phrases both could and would are accepted).

1. If she (learn) how to cook, she (prepare) gourmet meals

every evening.

2. If they (win) the competition, they (celebrate) all night long.

3. If it (snow) tomorrow, we (build) a snowman in the garden.

4. If he (know) how to swim, he (join) us for a swim in the lake.

5. If I (be) a famous actor, I (attend) glamorous award ceremonies.

6. If she (own) a bakery, she (bake) delicious pastries every day.

7. If they (have) a car, they (go) on road trips every weekend.

8. If it (rain), we (stay) indoors and watch movies all day.

9. If he (play) the guitar, he (perform) at local cafes for extra cash.

10. If I (speak) Spanish fluently, I (travel) to South America without

any language barriers.

Activity 3
Combine the phrases to form coherent sentences in the second conditional structure.

You / listen to me / you / make / so many mistakes

Example
If you listened to me, you wouldn’t make so many mistakes.

1. Mary / get / more sleep / she / have / enough energy

2. Sarah / have / a car / she / not take / the bus

3. I / live / near the beach / I / go / surfing regularly

4. They / have more time / I / read / more books

5. She / be / more confident / speak / in public

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 Second and Third
Conditional
6. You / learn / a new language / travel / more easily

7. John / exercise regularly / feel / healthier

8. Our company / be / more organised / keep / a planner

Third Conditional
Third conditional sentences are used to express
hypothetical situations in the past that did not happen.

Example If she had studied harder, she would/could have passed the exam.

The language structure is:

If + verb in the past perfect, + would have + verb in the past participle

Activity 1

Match the beginning of the sentence (1-8) to an appropriate ending (a-h) using the third conditional.

1 If she had followed the recipe correctly, a. she wouldn’t have forgot her umbrella.

2 If they had gone to bed earlier, b. we wouldn’t have been hungry during the trip.

3 If he had listened to his doctor’s advice, c. they wouldn’t have missed the flight.

4 If Patrick had asked for help when he needed it, d. he would have finished the project on time.

5 If I had taken the train instead of the bus, e. you wouldn’t have overslept.

6 If Laura had checked the weather, f. he could’ve started feeling better.

7 If we had brought snacks, g. I wouldn’t have been late for work.

8 If you had set an alarm, h. she wouldn’t have burnt the cake.

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Conditional
Activity 2

Fill in the gaps in each sentence conjugating the base form of the verb in brackets in the third conditional.

1. If they (listen) to my advice, they (avoid) the problem.

2. If he (ask) for directions, he (not get) lost.

3. If we (leave) earlier, we (catch) the train.

4. If you (save) money, you (buy) a new car.

5. If she (wear) sunscreen, she (not get) sunburned.

6. If they (practise) more, they (perform) better in the concert.

7. If she (read) the instructions carefully, she (assemble)

the furniture correctly.

8. If they (drink) more water, they (not feel) so tired.

9. If she (double-check) the email address, she (not

send) it to the wrong person.

10. If they (plan) ahead, they (avoid) the traffic jam.

Activity 3
Combine the phrases to Combine the phrases to form coherent sentences in the third conditional structure.

You / bring / your coat / you / not feel / cold

Example
If you had brought your coat, you wouldn’t have felt cold.

1. Mary / study / more / she / get / better grades.

2. They / listen / attentively / they / understand / the instructions.

3. We / read / more books / we / expand / our knowledge.

4. If she / practice / speaking / she / improve / her English.

5. They / watch / educational videos / they / learn / new skills.

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 Second and Third
Conditional

6. If he / take / breaks / he / focus / better on his work.

7. If they / drink / more water / they / stay / hydrated.

8. If you / plan / your day / you / manage / your time more effectively.

Mixing the Second and the Third Conditionals

Activity 4
Now, fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verbs and prove your knowledge of both conditionals!

1. If she (drink) more water regularly, she (feel) better now.

2. If he (win) the lottery, he (buy) a yacht.

3. If they (go) to bed earlier, they (not be) always so tired.

4. If I (learn) Spanish, I (be) able to communicate with the

locals on my last trip.

5. If we (buy) the concert tickets earlier, we (have) front-row seats.

6. If you (work) harder, you (be) promoted to a higher position last

time around.

7. If she (miss) her train this morning, she (be) late for work.

8. If they (listen) more carefully, they (be) better students.

9. If he (eat) healthier food, he (be) in better shape.

10. If we (take) a vacation last month, we (be) so stressed out now.

11. If you (start) your own business, you (have) more control over your schedule.

12. If she (talk) to me earlier, I (offer) her a solution to the problem.

13. If they (accumulate) more savings, they (be) able to retire early.

14. If he (be) more empathetic, he (understand) other people’s feelings better.

15. If we (attend) the meeting on time, we (participate) in all the

important discussions.

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