We use 2nd and 3rd conditionals to talk about hypothetical/unreal situations, but what is the difference between them?

Second conditionals are for unreal situations that have the feeling of present or future situations. Third conditionals are for hypothetical situations in the past. They often talk about a real situation, but are used to talk about how a different action in the past would have had different consequences.

The formation of the second and the third conditional is also different. The second conditional is formed like this:

If + past tense verb/would + verb. For example, “If I WON the lottery I would TRAVEL the world.”

The third conditional is formed like this: If + had + past participle/would + have + past participle. For example, “If I HAD SET my alarm I WOULD HAVE BEEN on time.”

Test to see if you understand with the quiz below.