Grammar › Conditionals › Second vs Third Conditional
Second vs Third Conditional
Both are imaginary, but they point at different times:
- Second conditional — unreal present or future (If I had money, I'd travel).
- Third conditional — unreal past (If I had had money, I would have travelled).
Imagining now or in general → second (past + would). Imagining a finished past → third (past perfect + would have).
The difference in one table
| Second conditional | Third conditional | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Unreal present or future | Unreal past |
| If-clause | past simple | past perfect |
| Result | would + base verb | would have + past participle |
| Example | If I had money, I’d travel. | If I had had money, I would have travelled. |
The second imagines things being different now; the third imagines the past being different.
When to use each
Second — imagining now or in general
- If I spoke Japanese, I’d apply for the job. (I don’t speak it now)
Third — imagining a different past
- If I had spoken Japanese, I would have got that job. (I didn’t, back then)
⚠️ The clue is often a time word: now / today / these days → second; then / that day / last year → third.
Common mistakes
1. Using the third when you mean now. If I had had a car, I’d have driven to work every day (for a general present habit) → If I had a car, I’d drive to work every day.
2. Using the second for a finished past. If I knew, I would have told you → If I had known, I would have told you.
3. Forgetting ‘have’ in the third. If I had studied, I would passed → If I had studied, I would have passed. Pro tip: decide the time first — unreal now = second, unreal past = third.
✏️ Practice: Second vs Third Conditional
1. If I ___ Japanese, I'd apply for the job now.
2. If I ___ Japanese, I would have got that job last year.
3. If she had left earlier, she ___ the train.
4. If I had a bigger flat, I ___ a dog.
5. Which sentence is about the PAST?
6. If I ___ about the meeting, I would have come yesterday.
7. If we ___ more money, we'd buy a house these days.
8. Correct this: 'If I knew, I would have told you.'
9. If he weren't so rude, people ___ him more. (in general, now)
10. Rewrite about the past: 'If I were rich, I'd help.' →
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the second and third conditional?
The second imagines an unreal present or future (If I were rich, I'd travel). The third imagines an unreal past (If I had been rich, I would have travelled).
Why does the third conditional have 'had' and 'have'?
The if-clause uses the past perfect (had + participle) and the result uses 'would have + participle' — both mark the unreal past.
Can I mix them?
Yes — that's a mixed conditional: If I had studied (past), I'd have a degree now (present).
👩🏫 For teachers
CEFR objectives for “Second vs Third Conditional”:
- Can choose between the second and third conditional by time reference (CEFR B2).
- Can form both: if + past + would, and if + past perfect + would have.
- Can recognise when a mixed conditional is needed instead.
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