The Second Conditional: Past Simple

The Second Conditional
The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the
infinitive:
 if + past simple, ...would + infinitive
(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly
done in formal writing).
It has two uses.
First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not
going to be true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example.
 If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the
lottery)
 If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
 She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
 She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this
won't happen)
Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is

impossible, because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples:
 If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's
impossible for me to call him).
 If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.
The Third Conditional

We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then
'would have' and the past participle in the second part of the sentence:
 if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle
It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen,
and to imagine the result of this situation.
 If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know
she didn't study and so she didn't pass)
 If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot,
and so I did feel sick).
 If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
 She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
 She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
 He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at
nine
Possibility in the past

Formula: MODAL + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE (to show how certain the speaker
is that something happened)
Must have + past participle shows a great deal of certainty that something
happened, but there is still some doubt in the speaker’s mind. He/she is not 100%
certain. For example:
The students did well on the test. They must have studied hard.
(There are other possible reasons why the students did well on the test. It might
have been very easy, or they might have already learned the material. The speaker
uses must have studied hard to show that he/she thinks this is the most logical
reason they did so well.) For example:
I’ve phoned Jim several times, but he doesn’t answer. He must have gone out.
(The speaker believes this is the most logical reason why Jim doesn’t answer the
phone. However, other reasons are possible. He might not have heard the phone, or
he might not have wanted to talk to anyone.)
May, might and could convey the idea that a speaker is only 50% or less certain
that something happened. The use of could implies a little more certainty. For
example:
My wife doesn’t answer the phone. She may (might, could) have
gone shopping.
(The speaker doesn’t know for sure that his wife went shopping. However, it is his
best guess.)
Negative
Formula: MODAL + NOT + BASE VERB + PAST PARTICIPLE (to show how
certain the speaker is that something didn’t happen)
Can’t or couldn’t have + past participle shows that the speaker is very certain
something didn’t happen. For example:
Robin looks tired today. She can’t have slept well last night.
(This is the speaker’s best guess as to why Robin looks tired. Of course, other
reasons are possible. For instance, she might be ill.)
May or might not have + past participle shows that the speaker is 50% or less
certain that something didn’t happen. For example:
There was a strange light in the sky yesterday evening. I don’t know for sure
what it was, but I may have seen a U.F.O. (Unidentified Flying Object).
An appropriate modal + have is used in most short answers. However, if the

question has a be verb, the formula for responding is appropriate modal + have
been. For example:
Person A: Has Jennifer decided which courses she’s going to take next semester?
Person B: I’m not sure. She might have.
Person C: Do you think Tim enjoyed the concert?
Person D: I don’t know. He may have.
Should Have PP
We use should have + past participle to talk about things we regret.
I got really wet walking home last night, I should have taken an
umbrella.
The speaker did not take an umbrella when she went out last night so she
got wet. She regrets that she did not take her umbrella.
Regret (verb/noun) is to feel sorry about something that happened or did

not happen in the past.
I should have called you sooner.
You should have spoken to me before deciding.
Sarah talked all the way through the movie. I should not have
invited her to the cinema.
I'm really tired today. I should not have stayed awake so late last night.
I shouldn't have shouted at her.

The Second Conditional: Past Simple

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The Second Conditional

 if + past simple, ...would + infinitive

It has two uses.

Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is

The Third Conditional

 if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle

Possibility in the past

An appropriate modal + have is used in most short answers. However, if the

Regret (verb/noun) is to feel sorry about something that happened or did

I should have called you sooner.

You should have spoken to me before deciding.

I shouldn't have shouted at her.

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