Casa ESL · B1 Intermediate · Unit 9 of 20 · Step 1
Second Conditional
Name
Date
Vocabulary
artificial
adjectiveMade or produced by humans rather than occurring naturally.
"Artificial intelligence is changing many industries."
innovation
nounA new idea, method, or invention.
"Smartphones were one of the greatest innovations of the 21st century."
privacy
nounThe state of being free from public attention or unwanted observation.
"Many people worry about their privacy online."
virtual
adjectiveExisting or occurring on computers or the internet rather than in the physical world.
"We had a virtual meeting with the team in Tokyo."
rely
verbTo depend on someone or something.
"We rely on technology more than ever before."
disconnect
verbTo break the connection between something and something else.
"I try to disconnect from my phone at weekends."
access
nounThe ability or right to use or enter something.
"Not everyone has access to high-speed internet."
gadget
nounA small mechanical or electronic device, especially a useful one.
"He loves buying the latest gadgets."
Grammar Focus
Second conditional (if + past simple, would + infinitive)
Use the second conditional to talk about imaginary, unlikely, or unreal present/future situations. The 'if' clause uses the past simple, and the main clause uses 'would + infinitive'. Use 'were' (not 'was') with I/he/she/it in formal English. The second conditional is different from the first: the first conditional is about real possibilities, while the second is about unreal or hypothetical situations.
If I had more time, I would learn to code.
If she were the CEO, she would invest more in research.
I wouldn't buy that phone if it didn't have a good camera.
What would you do if you could travel anywhere in the world?
Exercises
Exercise 1
Complete each second conditional sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
1. If I (have) a million dollars, I (start) my own company.
2. She (travel) the world if she (not have) to work.
3. If people (not use) social media, they (have) more free time.
4. What you (do) if you (be) invisible for a day?
5. If there (be) no internet, life (be) very different.
Exercise 2
Choose the correct conditional form for each situation.
1. If I ___ rich, I ___ a house by the sea. (imaginary)
2. If it ___ tomorrow, we ___ at home. (real possibility)
3. If she ___ the answer, she ___ you. (imaginary)
Reading
A World Without Smartphones
Imagine for a moment that smartphones had never been invented. How different would our lives be? If smartphones didn't exist, we would probably still use paper maps to find our way around cities. We wouldn't be able to take photos so easily, and social media would look very different — or might not exist at all. If people couldn't send instant messages, they would perhaps write more letters or make more phone calls. On the other hand, if we didn't have smartphones, we would probably spend more time talking face to face. Some studies suggest that we would feel less anxious if we weren't constantly checking notifications. Of course, smartphones have brought enormous benefits too. If we removed them completely, we would also lose many useful tools for education, health, and communication.
1. According to the text, what would people use instead of smartphone maps?
2. What does the text suggest about anxiety and smartphones?
Speaking
Discuss these questions with a partner or your teacher.
Writing
Write 6–8 sentences about what you would do if technology suddenly disappeared from your life. How would your daily routine change? What would you miss the most?
Example: If I didn't have a computer, I would have to write everything by hand. I would probably read more books if I couldn't watch streaming services. If there were no mobile phones, I would feel quite isolated from my friends abroad. I would spend more time outdoors if I didn't have so many screens to look at.
Answer Key — For Teacher Use
Exercise 1
1. had / would start · 2. would travel / didn't have · 3. didn't use / would have · 4. would / do / were · 5. were / would be
Exercise 2
1. were / would buy · 2. rains / will stay · 3. knew / would tell
Reading Comprehension
1. They would probably still use paper maps to find their way around cities. · 2. Some studies suggest we would feel less anxious if we weren't constantly checking notifications.