The First Conditional contrasted with the Second Conditional, and the two meanings of the Second Conditional

1. Remote Probabilityand theUnreal Present

2. consider

3. If Brazil wins the next World Cup, nobody will be surprised.

4. and

5. If I won the lottery, I’d buy a Ferrari.

6. what are the similarities?

7. If Brazil wins the next World Cup, nobody will be surprised. IfI won the lottery, I’d buy a Ferrari. future possibility

8. If Brazil wins the next World Cup, nobody will be surprised. IfI won the lottery, I’d buy a Ferrari. CONDITION (A) RESULT (B)

9. If Brazil wins the next World Cup, nobody will be surprised. IfI won the lottery, I’d buy a Ferrari. If A; B

10. what are the differences?

11. If Brazil wins the next World Cup, nobody will be surprised. If I won the lottery, I’d buy a Ferrari. CONDITION (A): present simple 2. past subjunctive

12. If Brazil wins the next World Cup, nobody will be surprised. If I won the lottery, I’d buy a Ferrari. RESULT (B): ‘will’ future conditional

15. now consider

16. If John were rich, he’d buy a Ferrari.

17. If I won the lottery, I’d buy a Ferrari. If John were rich, he’d buy a Ferrari.

18. If I won the lottery, I’d buy a Ferrari. SAME FORM: past subj. + conditional If John were rich, he’d buy a Ferrari.

19. future possibility If I won the lottery, I’d buy a Ferrari. If John were rich, he’d buy a Ferrari. present impossibility

20. this is the ‘unreal present’

21. it works like this

23. create unreal present sentences from these: I’m not at the beach. I don’t have the right change. We have her phone number. She doesn’t speak perfect Japanese. You are helping me. I know the answer. He has to study hard. You aren’t here. They are here. This class is supremely intelligent. I drink, I smoke and I eat what I want. She doesn’t drink, she doesn’t smoke and she doesn’t eat meat. It’s Monday. I don’t come to university by bus.

24. summary

26. is this a sliding scale of probability?

27. e.g.

29. attractive idea

30. but WRONG

32. grammar doesn’t work like this:

33. it works like this:

35. TERMINOLOGY