1. Primary Longman Elect
6A Chapter 6
If I were …, I would …

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Practice
What would you do if you were the following people/characters?
If I ______ Santa Claus, I ___________
_________________________________ .

5. Practice If I ______ a wizard, I _____________
_________________________________ .

6. Practice If I ______ an alien, I ________________
______________________ .

7. Practice If I ______ Red Riding Hood, I _________
______________________ .

8. Practice If I ______ the wolf, I ________________
______________________ .

9. The End