grammar · neutral
If + past simple, would + base verb
Second conditional: used for hypothetical or unlikely present or future situations and their imagined results.
Examples
“If I had more free time, I would travel around the country.”
“If she were here, she would help us.”
“If I won the lottery, I would buy a house by the sea.”
Band 8 sentence
“If governments invested more in public transport, cities would be far less congested and pollution levels would drop significantly.”
Collocations
- If + past simple, would + V
Common mistakes
If I would go to university, I will study abroad.→If I went to university, I would study abroad.
If I was rich, I would buy a car.→If I were rich, I would buy a car.
Say it for a higher band
5If I would + V (wrong)→6If I were + V (shorter formal)→7+If + past simple, would + base verb
Synonyms
If + were to + V, would + V
Easily confused
If + present simple, will + V (first conditional)
“If it rains tomorrow, I will stay at home.”
If + past perfect, would have + V3 (third conditional)
“If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.”
Related words
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In Tenses
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