Vocabulary
6 key words for this lesson
IMAGINARY
Not real; only in your mind.
The second conditional describes imaginary situations.
UNLIKELY
Probably not going to happen.
Winning the lottery is very unlikely.
REGRET
A sad feeling about something you did or didn't do in the past.
I regret not studying harder.
WISH
To want something that is not true now.
I wish I lived by the sea.
PAST PERFECT
had + past participle (had studied, had left).
The third conditional uses the past perfect after "if".
LOCKED OUT
Unable to get into a place because you don't have the key.
She forgot her keys and was locked out.
Grammar Focus
Understand the grammar rule behind this lesson's topic
Grammar focus
Grammar Focus: Second vs Third Conditional
SECOND: If + past simple, WOULD + base verb → imaginary present or unlikely future. THIRD: If + past perfect (had + past participle), WOULD HAVE + past participle → imaginary past; it did not happen and cannot change.
Phrases
5 phrases and their meanings
If + past simple, would + verb
Second conditional: unreal present / unlikely future.
If she won the lottery, she would travel the world.
If I were you, I would…
A fixed second-conditional phrase for giving advice.
If I were you, I would talk to your manager.
If + had + p.p., would have + p.p.
Third conditional: imaginary past.
If they had left earlier, they would have caught the train.
Contractions: I'd, wouldn't, would've
In speech, we usually contract would and had.
If I'd known, I'd have helped. (= If I had known, I would have helped.)
Second vs Third
Second = now/future (not real). Third = past (didn't happen).
If I had a car, I would drive. / If I had had a car, I would have driven.
In Action
Hear how these phrases sound in real B2B situations
“With "I/he/she", formal English uses "were": If I were you… If he were here… "Was" is common in speech, but "If I were you" is the fixed advice phrase.”
Register
Understand when and how to use each phrase — formal, neutral, or informal
Videos
Watch these terms used in context
Dialogue
Read the dialogue and hover the blue words for definitions
Tim
KiraKira, if you won the lottery, what would you do?
Ha! If I won the lottery, I would buy a house near the beach and swim every morning. You?
If I had that much money, I would travel for a year. But it's very unlikely — I never buy tickets!
Speaking of money, how was the job interview yesterday?
Not great. If I had prepared more, I would have answered the questions better. I really regret that.
Don't be too hard on yourself. If I were you, I would ask them for feedback.
Good idea. Oh, and I was late! If I hadn't missed the bus, I wouldn't have been so nervous.
Next time, leave early. And if you'd told me, I would have driven you!
Exercises
Complete all three exercises to see your final score
Matching
Click a word, then click its correct definition.
Click a word on the left, then its definition on the right.
Words
Definitions
Fill in the Blank
Drag the correct words from the word bank to complete each sentence.
Sentence 1
If I had a million dollars, I— — —buy a big house.
Sentence 2
If she— — —in Paris, she would visit museums every day.
Sentence 3
If I— — —you, I would call her.
Sentence 4
If I had studied harder, I would have— — —the exam.
Sentence 5
If they— — —left earlier, they wouldn't have missed the bus.
Sentence 6
If I hadn't eaten so much, I— — —have felt sick.
Tip: Think about the meaning of each word and what makes sense in the sentence.
Multiple Choice
Choose the best answer for each question about the dialogue.
1.Which sentence is a second conditional?
2.Which sentence is a third conditional?
3."If I had studied, I would have passed." What really happened?
4.Which phrase gives advice?
5.In the dialogue, what would Kira buy if she won the lottery?
6.Why was Tim nervous at the interview?