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.
✏️ 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. Choose the correct version of: 'If I knew, I would have told you.'
9. If he weren't so rude, people ___ him more. (in general, now)
10. Choose the past version of: 'If I were rich, I'd help.'
11. Fill in the gap
If I ___ the answer, I would tell you. (know)
Use the past simple.
12. Correct the mistake
If I knew about the accident, I would have helped.
Type the whole corrected sentence.
13. Fill in the gap
He didn't study, so he failed. → If he ___ studied, he wouldn't have failed.
Type one word.
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.
⬇︎ Download the Lesson Pack (PDF)
Printable worksheet + answer key + one-page summary. Free to use and print in class with attribution. Join the newsletter for new packs and cheat sheets.