Grammar

Question

Hi I need to teach the first, second & third conditionals who wants to help me?

David Alves · Accepted Answer

What do you need to teach first?

CalifJim · Answer

Start here.

First -- IF present, WILL base. (base = base form of verb)

Second -- IF past, WOULD base.
Third -- IF HAD past participle, WOULD HAVE past participle

If I win a lot of money, I will buy a new car.
If I won a lot of money, I would buy a new car.
If I had won a lot of money, I would have bought a new car.

In my opinion, you should not talk about the subjunctive, and especially not about the past subjunctive of be (were in the second conditional), until the later stages of teaching this topic.

Use only verbs other than be in your first presentation of the topic unless you are willing to use the informal was.

I'd also be inclined to concentrate on the second and third conditionals first, stressing the imaginative nature of those patterns. After those, the first conditional will seem easy.

CJ

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