This page is intended to be a resource for English learners and teachers. You can practice answering these second conditional discussion questions by yourself or with a partner. You can also write the answers in a notebook, in a digital document, or in the comments section below. To help learners feel more confident and to develop grammatical accuracy, the warm-up questions have some suggested answer beginnings, which make them ideal for beginner or intermediate learners. For more challenging questions, move on to the "Let's go!" section.
Recommended levels: Intermediate for "Warm-up" questions; mix of upper intermediate and advanced levels for majority of "Let's go!" questions.
Grammar reminder
The second conditional is used to discuss present and future hypothetical (or "unreal") situations. You can learn more about the second conditional here.
Typically, the second conditional uses the following structure:
"If" clause + result clause
If + subject + past simple + would (not)/could (not)/might (not) + bare infinitive
These two clauses can be inverted, and the "if" clause can sometimes be implied, meaning you don't need to directly mention it in some second conditional cases. In short, there are many ways to form second conditional questions and answers, which you will see in the questions below.
Okay, let's start using the second conditional in conversational situations.
Warm-up
If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
If I could go on vacation anywhere in the world, I would go to...because...
What would you do if you won a million dollars in the lottery tomorrow?
If I won a million dollars tomorrow, I would...
What would you do if you found a wallet with a lot of money in it?
If I found a wallet with a lot of money in it, I would/might...
If you could speak any language fluently, which one would you choose and why?
If I could speak any language fluency, I would choose...because...
If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be and what would you ask them?
If I could meet any historical figure, it would be....I would ask him/her...
If you could have a conversation with an alien from another planet, what would you ask them?
If I could have a conversation with an alien from another planet, I would ask them...
What would you do if you could control the weather?
If I could control the weather, I would...
If you could live in any city, town, or village in the world, where would you choose?
If I could live anywhere in the world, I would choose... / ...I would want to live in...
If you could be an expert in one thing, what would it be?
If I could be an expert in one thing, it would be...
If you could have any job in the world, what would you choose to be and why?
If I could have any job in the world, I would choose to be a/an/the...because...
Let's go!
What would you do if you were offered your dream job, but you had to move to another country to do it?
What would you do if your boss told you to do something illegal and said that you would lose your job if you didn't do it?
If you could have any superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?
How would you feel if your best friend started spreading rumours about you? What might you do?
How would you react if you learned that you were related to a royal family?
What would you do if you woke up one day and everyone had disappeared?
If you could invent a new gadget, what would it do and how would it benefit people?
What would you do if you had the opportunity to work for a billion-dollar company, but you had to abandon your friends to do it?
What would you do if you had the power to stop time for one day?
If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would you choose and what would you talk about?
If it were possible to change your appearance instantly, would you change anything about yourself?
What would you do if you witnessed a crime being committed?
If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?
What would you do if you found a magic lamp with three wishes?
If you could be any animal for a day, which one would you choose and why?
What would you do if you were the leader of your country for a day?
If you could learn any musical instrument instantly, which one would you choose and why?
Picture practice
What would you do if you visited these countries? What would you want to learn about them? Which places would you want to visit and explore? What foods and activities would you be interested in trying?
If you could have a conversation with your past self, what advice would you give yourself?
If you could memorize any book in the world, which one would you choose and why?
If you could live in any era in history, which one would you choose and why?
What would you do if you could read minds for a day?
If you could have a dinner party with three fictional characters, who would you invite and why?
If you could work for any company in the world for a week, which one would you choose and why?
If you could have any fictional character as your best friend, who would you choose and why?
If you could become a professional athlete in any sport, which one would you choose?
If you could have any type of pet, what would you choose and why?
If you could have any famous artist (living or dead) paint your portrait, who would you choose and why?
What would you do if you could become a character in a video game?
If you could have any fictional vehicle, such as a time machine or a lightspeed spaceship, which one would you choose and why?
What would you do if you could solve one world problem overnight?
What would you do if you woke up with the ability to speak all languages fluently?
If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would you choose and why?
If you could visit any fictional world from a movie, video game, book, etc., where would you choose to visit?
If you could possess any object from a fictional universe, such as a lightsaber or a magic wand, which one would you choose and what would you do with it?
What would you do if you could live forever, never aging or getting sick?
If you could have any famous musician perform a private concert for you, who would you choose and why?
What would you do if you could solve any unsolved mystery or conspiracy theory in history?
If you could learn the answer to just ONE question, which question would you choose?
What would you do if you could erase one embarrassing or regretful memory from your past?
What would happen if...?
We can use the second conditional to imagine possible consequences and realities. Answer the questions below to practice this usage.
What would happen if the world's nuclear weapons were all detonated at the same time?
What would happen if all forms of mechanical transportation disappeared overnight?
What would happen if all social media platforms were suddenly shut down?
What would happen if a cure for all diseases was discovered and made freely available to everyone?
What would happen if all the bees in the world disappeared?
What would happen if you suddenly lost your job?
Giving advice with conditionals
You can start a sentence with "If I were you" or "If I were in your shoes" (meaning "If I were in your position or situation") to give advice to someone. You can also give advice by starting with "I would," "I would probably," "I would maybe," or "I might." These are sometimes answers to the questions "What would you do if you were me?", "What would you do (if you were) in my shoes?", "What would you do?", or "How would you go about it?", which means "How would you handle it?"
Imagine that you are trying to help some friends with their problems. What advice would you give to these friends?
Friend 1: "I feel unappreciated and unmotivated at work. My boss never says anything nice to me, and he just treats me like I'm a robot."
Friend 2: "My boyfriend/girlfriend just broke up with me and I'm feeling really down."
Friend 3: "My mom wants to visit my house this weekend, but I'm still upset with her because of a fight we had last month. What would you do if you were me?"
Friend 4: "I need new shoes, but I don't have the money for them right now."
Friend 5: "My office is too loud. I can't focus on my work because of all the noise."
"It would be [adjective] if..." conditionals
This is one of the most common second conditional constructions. For example, a person might say "It would be great if you could attend the meeting" or "It would be nice if the weather were warmer." Don't forget to use the past simple in the "if" clause.
Complete the sentences
It would be nice if...
It would be great if...
It would be awful if...
It would be cool if...
It would be funny if...
Another way to construct this type of sentence is "Wouldn't it be [adjective] if...?" Complete the sentences to practice:
Wouldn't it be scary if...?
Wouldn't it be incredible if...?
Wouldn't it be awesome if...?
Wouldn't it be surprising if...?
Wouldn't it be shocking if...?
"If + subject + were to + verb" conditional structure
This structure is used to emphasize that a condition is very unlikely. For example, you could say "If the were to lose your job tomorrow, what would you do?" It is equally possible to say "If you lost your job tomorrow, what would you do?" However, "If you were to lose your job tomorrow" makes the situation sound even more unbelievable and unlikely. Practice this structure below.
If you were to start a new career tomorrow (or a new major in school), completely unrelated to your current field, what would you choose and why?
If you were to live in a different country for a year, which one would you choose and what aspects of its culture and lifestyle appeal to you?
If I were to tell you that your partner were cheating on you, what would you do?
If you were to write a book, what genre would it be and what would the story be about?
Implied conditionals pt.1
An "If" clause is not always necessary to form a conditional sentence. For example, you could say "I would buy a Ferrari, but I don't have the money." In this case, the implied conditional is "If I had the money, I would buy a Ferrari." Practice using implied conditionals by answering the questions below.
Would you ever consider getting plastic surgery? (Implied conditional: If it were an option,... / If you had the money,... And remember, you don't have to use an "if" clause in your answer if you feel it's unnecessary.)
Would you ever want to be the CEO of a company?
Do you know anyone who would be a good leader?
In your opinion, who would be the best person to ask for advice about mental health issues?
How would you solve world hunger?
Do you think a new government would do a better job than the current government in your country?
Could you ever see yourself buying a sports car?
Would you ever consider quitting your job to pursue your passion?
Imagine you were a film director. Who would be the first actor you would cast in your movie?
Do you know where I might find a good place to eat around here?
When would be the best time to call you tomorrow?
Would you be available to see a movie this weekend?
Would you be able to live without money?
Implied conditionals pt.2 (formal advanced structures)
Read the question below and note the formal replacement phrases for "if."
Assuming that a better position became available at your company, would you take it?
Provided that you didn't have to worry about food, would you be willing to live on an island all by yourself?
In the event that you died, who would get all of your possessions?
On the condition that your identity would be kept completely anonymous, would you ever testify in a murder trial?
Implied conditionals pt.3 (Informal "Let's say that..." structure)
You can start a conditional with "Let's say" or "Let's say that." This is like saying "Imagine" or "Imagine that." For example, "Let's say (that) you won lottery. What would you do with the money?" You can answer a question like this in the standard way: "If I won the lottery, I would donate half of it to charity." With this in mind, answer the questions below.
Let's say you could have any phone in the world. Which one would you want?
Let's say that you had the ability to change the name . What would you call yourself?
Let's say that the world was going to end tomorrow. What would you do with your last day on Earth?
Let's say you had the power to erase one person or event from world history. Who or what would you choose to erase?
Let's say you could only eat from one restaurant for the rest of your life. Which restaurant would you choose?
Ethical dilemmas
The second conditional is often used in ethics and psychology. One of the most common uses of the second conditional in these fields is the construction of ethical dilemmas, which are imaginary situations which ask a person what they would do when faced with a difficult situation. Think about these five dilemmas seriously.
The Trolley Dilemma: There is an out-of-control trolley heading towards five workers. Next to you is a person who, if you push them off the bridge, will stop the trolley, saving the five workers. Would you push the person to their death to save the five workers?
The Honest Friend Dilemma: Your best friend confides in you about cheating on a significant other. The significant other is also a close friend of yours. Would you remain loyal to your best friend and keep their secret, or would you inform the significant other about the cheating?
The Experiment Dilemma: You are a scientist conducting an experiment that could potentially cure a deadly disease. However, the experiment requires the use of human subjects, some of whom may experience significant harm or even die. Would you proceed with the experiment, knowing the potential risks and benefits involved?
The Euthanasia Dilemma: You are a doctor caring for a terminally ill patient who is experiencing extreme pain and suffering with no hope for recovery. The patient requests assisted suicide to end their suffering. Would you honor their request, knowing that it involves intentionally ending their life?
The Insider Trading Dilemma: You work in the finance industry and have access to non-public information that could significantly impact the stock market. Would you use this information for personal financial gain, potentially at the expense of other investors who don't have access to the same information?
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