The Second Conditional and Beyonce

Beyonce is a style icon, singer, dancer, artist, designer, and feminist . . . but did you know that she is also an excellent grammar teacher? Today we are looking at her song “If I Were A Boy” and how it properly uses the Second Conditional.

Conditionals are expressions with “if.” Some of them are real situations; for example, “If it rains, I will bring an umbrella.” This is an example of the First Conditional. For more information on the First Conditional, click here.

Some conditionals, however, are situations that are not real and never will be. For these situations, we use the Second Conditional. The Second Conditional uses the following construction:

[if + subject + SIMPLE PAST verb] + [subject + might/could/would + base verb]

Examples include:

• If I had a million dollars, I might buy a really expensive car.
• If I lived on the beach, I would go swimming every day!
• If I became president, I could meet a lot of famous world leaders. 

The song “If I Were A Boy” illustrates an interesting rule related to the Second Conditional: when using the “be” verb, we use “were” and not “was,” even for the first person. For example:

• If I were you, I would take the CAE exam and not the TOEFL.
• If I were German, I would speak German.
• Beyonce’s song: “If I were a boy, I’d …”

This irregular use of the “be” verb is often misunderstood by English speakers . . . even native English speakers! But Beyonce’s song properly uses this conditional, making it a perfect example of how to properly use this grammar point. Listen to the song (the video is provided below) while you read the lyrics. Pay attention to the hypothetical situations that Beyonce uses to talk about what she would do if she were a boy. The examples of the Second Conditional are in bold.

“If I Were A Boy”

If you would like to learn more about English Conditionals, click on the following links:

• The Zero Conditional
• The First Conditional
• The Second Conditional 
• The Third Conditional