Unreal Conditionals

Unreal conditionals are hypthothetical, or fantasy situations

Let's take a look at some examples of fantasy situations:

"If I was really rich, I would by a big house with a view over the sea"

"If we were a big company, we would have more money for big projects"

However, hypothetical and fantasy situations do not have to be crazy fantasies, they can be perfectly normal, hypothetical situations which are either impossible to happen, or so unlikely to happen that they are more like a hypothesis:

"If it was sunny, we would host the event outside" (hypothetical situation, because it is not sunny)

"If I wasn't so busy, I would call you about the project" (hypothetical situation, because you are very busy)

These hypothetical situations can be used to talk about the future, the general situation or the past. Sentences which talk about the future or general situations are often referred to as the 2nd conditional. Here is how the 2nd conditional is formed:

if + [past tense]

would + [infinitive]

"If I wasn't so tired, I would work more productively"

Situations which talk about the past are often referred to as the 3rd conditional. Here is how the 3rd conditional is formed:

if + [past perfect]

would + have + [past participle]

"If we had prepared more for the project, it would have been a success"

I find that talking about 2nd and 3rd conditionals doesn't really help English learners to use these in active spoken English, and to think about them quickly. I have an alternative way to look at unreal conditionals here:

Think of conditionals as having two parts

the if part

the would part

The if part can talk about the past, or it can talk about general/future situations

The would part can talk about the past, or it can talk about general/future situations

If the if part talks about the past, it doesn't mean that the would part should also talk about the past. You can mix the if and the would part for different situations:

If = Present / future / general 'If I had a lot of money (in general/now)

Would = Present / future / general 'I would buy a sports car' (in general/now)

If = Past 'If I had revised for the exam (in the past)

Would = Past I would have passed' (in the past)

If = Past 'If I had left the house on time (earlier in the past)

Would = Present / future / general I wouldn't be late for work' (now)

If = Present / future / general 'If I wasn't so stupid (in general)

Would = Past I wouldn't have missed the opportunity' (in the past)

Here are some further examples:

'If they were interested in our offer (in general)

'they would have accepted a deal by now' (past)

'If he wanted to come to the meeting (in general)

he would have arrived by now' (past)

as you can see very useful in sentences with the phrase 'by now'.

So you can mix the if parts and the would parts in any combination to match the situation which you want to talk about. This is shown more simply in the diagram below: