Grammar: Third Conditional Sentences (If)

Review:
POSSIBLE IN THE FUTURE (first conditional): If my boss ASKS me to go to London, I WILL accept.
- There is more than a 50% chance that my boss will ask me.

NOT POSSIBLE, IMAGINE (second conditional): If my boss ASKED me to go to London, I WOULD accept.
- My boss will never ask me. It’s not possible so I just imagine.

THIRD CONDITIONAL (PAST EVENT): If my boss HAD ASKED me to go to London, I WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED.
- It is too late, he asked someone else, and the offer is over.

THIRD CONDITIONAL
We use the third conditional when we talk about an imagined possibility about past events. Sometimes, we want to express regret or gladness.

PICTURE A: Last Sunday, I did not study for the test. I played video games all day.
PICTURE B: I took the test yesterday and I didn’t know most of the answers.
PICTURE C: I got the results of the test today. I got an F.

If I had studied last Sunday instead of playing video games, I would have passed the test, or I wouldn’t have failed it.

If I hadn’t played video games last Sunday, I would have passed the test, or I wouldn’t have failed it.

MORE EXAMPLES

1. I didn’t study English when I was young.
If I had studied English at a very young age, my English would have been better now. I regret not studying English at an early age.

2. I went to France on vacation when I was 25 years old and I met my future wife.
If I hadn’t gone to France, I would have never met my wife. I am glad I went to France when I was 25 years old.

Pattern:

If clause	Main clause
If + HAD + past participle (past perfect)	WOULD / COULD / MIGHT / WOULD HAVE TO (should or must) + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
If this thing HAD happened	that thing would have happened (imagining)
If I had studied English at a very young age,	my English would have been better now.

 

If clause	Main clause
If + HAD NOT + past participle (past perfect)	WOULD + HAVE NOT + PAST PARTICIPLE
If this thing HAD NOT happened	that thing would have NOT happened. (imagining)
If I had not studied for the test,	I wouldn’t have passed.

 

	PRESENT	PAST	PAST PARTICIPLE
Regular verbs	talk	talked	talked
Irregular verbs	eat	ate	eaten

Practice
Express if you regret something (I regret it); you are glad (I am glad) or it doesn’t change anything (It doesn’t matter).

1. What did you study in university? What would have happened if you hadn’t studied it? Example: “If I had NOT studied English, I would have probably studied history. I am glad that I studied English because I love being an English teacher.”

Your answer: If I had not studied _____, I would have _____.

2. What would you have done if your current company had not hired you

Example: “If my company had not hired me, I might have started my own home-based English classes, and I would have never met you.”

Your answer: If my company had not hired me, I would have _____.

3. How did you meet your partner/spouse?
Example: I met my spouse at a party.

If you had not gone to the party, would you have met your spouse another way?

• Yes, if I hadn’t gone to the party, I still would have met my spouse because we have the same friends.
• No, if I hadn’t gone to the party, I wouldn’t have met my spouse because I only went there by chance.

Your answer: If I ____...