We can follow the same pattern in other conditional structures to communicate the certainty of the effect in the main clause (second conditional).
The second conditional type | ‘If’ section of clause | ‘Effect’ section showing… | ||
… certain effect | …highly probable effect | …a possible effect | ||
Example: | If the IELTS exam was easier, | …students would get higher results. | …students would probably get higher results. | …students may get higher results. |
Grammar: | would + base verb | would probably / would most likely + base verb | Might / could / may + base verb |