CONDITIONALS UNREAL WITH THE PRESENT (SECOND CONDITIONAL)

For all conditional sentences there are two parts, the conditional clause (‘if’ clause) and the consequence clause (main clause).

The present unreal conditional / conditional unreal with the present / second conditional is formed with if + simple past tense for the conditional and the present conditional would + present tense for the consequence clause.

If I won the lottery, I would buy a yacht.

If I won the lottery (conditional / if clause),

I would buy a yacht (consequence clause / main clause).

The second conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations that are not true or are unlikely. Because the situations are not true or are unlikely they are ‘unreal’. The unreal conditional does not refer to the past; it refers to the present or to the future.

If I had a longer vacation, I would travel around Asia.

If I was an animal, I would be a squirrel.

The conditional clause can come first or second in a conditional sentence. If the conditional clause is first, a comma usually is put between the consequence and conditional clause. A comma usually isn’t needed when the consequence clause is first.

I would buy a yacht if I won the lottery.

If I won the lottery, I would buy a yacht.

Conditionals unreal with the present questions

  1. What would you do if you were elected the leader of your country?
  2. What would you tell yourself if you could go back in time and talk to your younger self?
  3. If you could create a superhero, what would their power and name be?
  4. What would you do if you were the second richest person in the world?
  5. Who would you marry if you could marry anyone in the world?
  6. If you could take one thing from the past and bring it to the present, what would it be?
  7. If you were able to change places with one person for one day, who would the person be? What would you do?
  8. If you could choose to live forever, would you?
  9. If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
  10. If you had only one week to live, what would you do?
  11. What year would you travel to if you had a time machine?
  12. If you could meet any three people from any time or place who would you meet?
  13. What spell would you want to know if you were a wizard?
  14. If you could have any animal as a pet, what animal would you want?
  15. If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
  16. If you could be a master at one skill, what would you be a master of?
  17. What would you want if you could eat anything right now?
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