Third conditional – past unreal situations

Exercises: 1 2 3

Third conditional – past unreal situations

Exercise 1

Choose the correct form to make third conditional sentences.

1If you had trained more, you so easily.

2We wouldn't have spent all the money if you on going to that boutique.

3If you had told me that you were having problems, I you.

4If I that she was in town, I would have called her.

5If she had offered a better price for the car, I it.

6There wouldn't have been so many problems if they the race a bit better.

7We lost if you had asked for directions.

8We would never have met if you us to each other at that party.

9If she had embarrassed me in front of all my friends, I her for ever.

10I her life if I had paid more attention.

Exercises: 1 2 3

Third conditional – Grammar Chart

Third conditional – past unreal situations

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If clause and main clause

We use if + past perfect to talk about an imaginary or hypothetical situation in the past. And we use would have, could have or might have + past participle in the main clause to talk about the result or consequence of that imaginary situation.

If you had come to class more often, you would have passed the test.
If he hadn’t taken his helmet, he could have died.
If the jacket had been a bit cheaper, I might have bought it.

Comma

As with all conditional types, we use a comma after the if–clause when it goes at the beginning of the sentence, but we don’t use a comma when the if-clause goes at the end.

If I hadn’t overslept, I wouldn’t have been late.
I wouldn’t have been late if I hadn’t overslept.

Unless

We can also use unless in conditional sentences to mean if … (not)

I wouldn’t have arrived on time unless I had taken a taxi.
= I wouldn’t have arrived on time if I hadn’t taken a taxi.

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