Hello, all. No episódio de hoje, eu falo sobre a maneira coloquial de se dizer o segundo condicional do inglês.

Transcrição

Hello, all! How’s it going? Here’s a new episode of the Inglesonline podcast. Please subscribe to this podcast using the Podcasts app for iPhone or iPad, or listen to the episodes using the Inglesonline Android app. To download or just listen to other episodes and download transcripts, go to inglesonline.com.br and click Podcast Inglesonline.

So let’s use today’s episode to hone our “conditional” skills. To hone a skill means to perfect that skill, to make it more efficient, more accurate. And just a side note: notice how I said “perfect”, the verb, and not “perfect”, the adjective. Two different pronunciations there. So here I’m saying that we are going to hone our “Conditional” skills, and by that I mean we are going to perfect our skills. We’re actually going to focus on the second conditional – and if you don’t which conditional that is, not a problem. I’m talking about this structure: If I had the money, I would buy a new car. Or If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world.

Just a quick recap – this is the structure that communicates a wish, only… it’s an imaginary situation like the examples I’ve just given you. If I had the money… I would buy a new car. Do I have the money? No. Therefore I’m not going to buy any new cars right now, but if I had the money, I would. I would buy a new car.

So here’s the deal, everyone: most of the time what we’ll hear in conversation, in movies, or sitcoms, isn’t this very clearly pronounced “If I had the money, I would buy a new car”. No, what we’ll hear most of the time is the contracted form of I and would, or he and would, or they and would, and so on and so forth. This is what you’ll hear most of the time: If I had the money, I’d buy a new car. There’s a D sound in there, and it’s the D for WOULD. Again: If I had the money, I’d buy a new car. If I won the lottery, I’d travel around the world.

So if you’re familiar with the second conditional; if you know what I’m talking about and if you’re still with me – and what I mean by that is, if you understand what I’ve said up to now, then let’s go ahead and get you a little bit more used to those contractions in second conditional structures. When you say If I won the lottery, I’d travel around the world, the D sound is very quick, sometimes almost imperceptible. And as you get used to hearing this structure and understanding it, you won’t even miss that D sound. You’ll totally get what’s being said.

So here we go – listen to these examples without any contractions first: (1) If she owned a house, she would be in a better situation. (2) If we had dinner earlier, we would be able to watch the show. (3) If I saved money, I would feel better about spending it. (4) If I had a dog, I would walk it myself. (5) If they had more patience, they would find a better house. (6) If I liked lettuce, I would eat it every day.

Got it? Cool. So now listen to those examples with the contractions. (1) If she owned a house, she’d be in a better situation. (2) If we had dinner earlier, we’d be able to watch the show. (3) If I saved money, I’d feel better about spending it. (4) If I had a dog, I’d walk it myself. (5) If they had more patience, they’d find a better house. (6) If I liked lettuce, I’d eat it every day.

Listen again to the second half of each sentence: She’d be in a better situation.