Primary Longman Elect 6A Chapter 6 If I were …, I would …
Second conditional ‘If’ We use the second conditional If to describe a situation that does not exist or an event that is unlikely to happen. If I were a bird, I would fly to America. Are you really a bird? No. Can you really fly? No. We use were (not am or was) and would (not will) here because these things are not true.
Key structure If I were a bird, I would fly to America. This is not the past tense. We use ‘I was’ in the past tense.
Practice What would you do if you were the following people/characters? If I ______ Santa Claus, I ___________ _________________________________ .
Practice If I ______ a wizard, I _____________ _________________________________ .
Practice If I ______ an alien, I ________________ ______________________ .
Practice If I ______ Red Riding Hood, I _________ ______________________ .
Practice If I ______ the wolf, I ________________ ______________________ .
The End