How to talk about imaginary situations

We all like to imagine different possibilities and scenarios for our lives once in a while, places we would like to visit, different jobs we would like to have, even more modern hairstyles we could try, so today we are going to practice how to talk about imaginary situations, things that aren’t true and scenarios that we can invent. For example:

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Good question! I guess I would travel the world and spend a lot of money on jewelry, clothes and stuff like that!

This sentence construction is called the second conditional and it follows some basic rules. Let’s see:

Use: we use it to talk about imaginary situations

Structure: If + past / would, could + infinitive

Let’s see how to construct affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences using the second conditional:

• Affirmative: If I had more free time, I’d start exercising or I’d start exercising, if I had more free time.

• Negative: If I didn’t have to work, I’d spend my days doing volunteer work.

• Interrogative: Would you go abroad if you didn’t speak the local language?

The second conditional can also be used with WH questions, examples:

• What would you do if you saw a ghost?

• Where would you live if you could buy a house anywhere?

• What kind of hairstyle would you have if you weren’t afraid of other people’s judgement?

Now it’s your turn to try to make sentences. Here’s some examples:

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