Second Conditional ESL Activities, Games and Worksheets
In this free second conditional game, students write, ask and answer questions in the second conditional. First, students use their own ideas to complete each If clause question strip with a main clause using would and a base verb. In groups, students then put all the strips together and take turns picking up a strip and reading the second conditional question to the other group members. The other group members listen and then each try to give the best answer they can using the second conditional. The student with the question strip listens to each response and gives the strip to the student who they thought gave the best answer. The student with the most question strips at the end of the game is the winner.
In this intriguing second conditional speaking activity, students ask and answer questions about how they would spend their last day at home if they were going away for a year. First, students complete second conditional sentences about how they would spend their last day at home, e.g. 'If I had one last day at home, I’d eat a big steak with french fries.' When they have done this, students write second conditional questions using the verbs from the sentences, e.g. 'If you had one last day at home, what would you eat?' Next, students use the questions to interview a partner about how they would spend their last day at home and write their answers down using the third person, e.g. 'If Emma had one last day at home, she would eat spaghetti.' Afterwards, students report back to the class on what they found out.
In this fun second conditional activity, students complete conditional sentences by guessing information about a classmate and then finding out if their guesses were right or wrong. To begin, students complete ten second conditional sentences on their worksheet by guessing what their partner would do in each situation. When the students have finished, they take turns reading their completed sentences to their partner, who tells them if they are right or wrong. If a sentence is wrong, their partner explains why.
Here is an engaging second conditional board game to help students practice or review the second conditional tense. In groups, students take turns rolling the dice and moving their counters along the board. When a student lands on a square containing the beginning of a second conditional sentence, they complete the sentence with their own idea. If a student lands on an If square, they make their own second conditional sentence. The group listens to the student's sentence and decides if it is grammatically correct or not. If it is, the student stays on the square. If not, they go back two squares. The first student to reach the finish wins the game.
This free second conditional worksheet helps students learn and practice how to form and use the second conditional tense. Students begin by reading how the second conditional is constructed and used. Students then match second conditional sentence halves together. Next, students put words in the correct order to make second conditional sentences, adding a comma where appropriate. Students then move on to complete sentences in the second conditional using two verbs from a box in each sentence. After that, students finish second conditional sentences with their own ideas. In the last exercise, students think of an animal without telling anyone what it is. Students then imagine they were that animal and answer questions using the second conditional. In pairs, students then ask the questions to their partner and try to guess what animal they are.
In this amusing second conditional activity, students talk about what they would do in hypothetical situations. Students start by completing second conditional sentences about what they would do in certain hypothetical situations. In pairs, students then take turns asking their partner what they would do in each situation. Their partner replies by making a second conditional sentence, and the other student writes the answer on the worksheet. Afterwards, students tell the class what they found out about their partner.
In this interesting second conditional speaking activity, students ask their classmates what they would do in various hypothetical situations and write a second conditional sentence about each person's answer. Give each student a card. Students then stand up and ask another student what they would do in the situation on their card, e.g. 'What would you do if you won the lottery?' Students then go back to their desk and write a second conditional sentence about the person's answer, e.g. 'If Alex won the lottery, he would buy a Lamborghini.' Students then exchange their card with a classmate and the process is repeated. This continues until everybody has written at least ten sentences. Afterwards, students say what their classmates would do in the different situations.
In this imaginative second conditional game, students write characterizations in the second conditional and play a guessing game based on them. First, teams match 20 class members with categories. Students then think of something specific belonging to the category that describes each person, writing a reason for their choice. For example, a team might characterize Jane as a building and specifically as a library because she loves to read. Next, students write each characterization in the second conditional, putting an X where the student’s name should be. Teams then read their characterizations to another team. The other team listens to each characterization and fills out an answer sheet with the information. The team then tries to identify the characterized person. If the team guesses correctly, they score a point. Afterwards, the teams swap roles. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
In this second conditional guessing game, students describe things by making conditional sentences about what life would be like without the items. In groups, students take turns picking up a card and making second conditional sentences about what life would be like without the thing on the card, using structures on the board and giving up to three descriptions without saying what it is. When a group member correctly guesses the thing being described, they win and keep the card. If no one manages to guess correctly after three descriptions, the student who is describing keeps the card. Therefore, students shouldn't make their descriptions too easy to guess. The student with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.
In this memorable second conditional activity, students create a political party and tell the class what they would do if they were elected. First, groups decide on their party's policies for the next election by answering ten questions using the second conditional. The questions are based on the environment, education, health, politics, crime and punishment. When the groups have finished, they tell the class what they would do if they were elected using the second conditional. As the other students listen to each policy, they comment on the negative consequences of the policy by making second conditional statements, and the group responds accordingly. This continues until either the group or students have won the argument. When all the groups have presented, the class votes for the party they would elect.
In this useful second conditional worksheet, students practice using the second conditional to talk about hypothetical situations. Students start by completing second conditional sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Next, students put words in the correct order to make second conditional sentences, starting with If... Students then match eight objects to pictures. After that, students read a hypothetical situation, explaining that they are stranded on a desert island with eight objects. Students then use the second conditional to say what they would do with each of the objects to help them survive, e.g. 'If I had a mirror, I would use it to reflect the sun and make fire.' Lastly, students imagine what four items they would trade if they met someone else on the island, e.g. 'If someone had a lighter, I would trade it for my flashlight.'
In this free second conditional speaking activity, students ask, answer and discuss what they would do in hypothetical situations and moral dilemmas. In groups, students take turns picking up a card and completing the question with the second conditional, e.g. 'If you didn't like the way your partner dressed, would you tell them?' The student then asks the hypothetical question to the group members, who each answer in turn. Students then discuss the hypothetical situation or moral dilemma and try to come up with a group answer that they think would be best for the situation, noting it down on the back of the card. When the groups have finished, go through each second conditional question and have the groups tell the class their answers. Discuss any surprising or interesting answers in more detail.
