Unreal Conditionals

Front

What is an unreal conditional?

Back

An unreal conditional is a type of conditional sentence that describes a situation that is contrary to fact or unlikely to happen. It often uses 'if' clauses to express hypothetical scenarios.

Front

What is the structure of the second conditional?

Back

The second conditional structure is: 'If + past simple, would + base form of the verb'. It is used to talk about unreal or hypothetical situations.

Front

What is the structure of the third conditional?

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The third conditional structure is: 'If + past perfect, would have + past participle'. It is used to talk about past situations that did not happen.

Front

Provide an example of a second conditional sentence.

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If I won the lottery, I would buy a new house.

Front

Provide an example of a third conditional sentence.

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If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam.

Front

What is the difference between 'if I were' and 'if I was'?

Back

'If I were' is used in unreal conditionals to express hypothetical situations, while 'if I was' is used in real situations.

Front

What does 'contrary to fact' mean in the context of unreal conditionals?

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'Contrary to fact' means that the situation being described is not true or is unlikely to happen.

Front

What is the purpose of using unreal conditionals?

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Unreal conditionals are used to express wishes, hypothetical situations, or regrets about past actions.

Front

How do you form a negative unreal conditional?

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To form a negative unreal conditional, use 'if + subject + were/was not + base form of the verb' for second conditional, and 'if + subject + had not + past participle' for third conditional.

Front

What is an example of a negative second conditional?

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If I were not afraid of heights, I would go skydiving.