Another lesson on the third conditional is in Level 490 - Upper Intermediate
Introduction
The third conditional (also called conditional type 3) is a structure used for talking about unreal situations in the past. This page will explain how the third conditional is formed, and when to use it.
The structure of a third conditional sentence
Like the other conditionals, a third conditional sentence consists of two clauses, an “if” clause and a main clause:
| IF clause | main clause |
|---|---|
| If I had studied harder, | I would have passed the exam. |
Explanation: I failed the exam, because I didn't study hard enough.
If the “if” clause comes first, a comma is usually used. If the “if” clause comes second, there is no need for a comma:
| main clause | IF clause |
|---|---|
| I probably would have passed the exam | if I had studied harder. |
We use different verb forms in each part of a third conditional:
| IF clause | if + subject + past perfect verb* |
|---|---|
| main clause | subject + would (OR could, OR might) have + past participle |
*The past perfect is formed with the auxiliary verb “had”, and the past participle (or third form) of the verb.
Note also that third conditional forms can be contracted:
| Full form | If I had studied harder, I probably would have passed the exam. |
|---|---|
| Contracted form | If I'd studied harder, I probably would've passed the exam. |
Using the third conditional
The third conditional is used to talk about things which did not happen in the past. If your native language does not have a similar construction, you may find this a little strange, but it can be very useful. It is often used to express criticism or regret:
| Example | Explanation |
|---|---|
| If you had driven more carefully, you would not have had an accident. | Criticism: You had an accident because you didn't drive carefully enough. |
| If we had played a little better, we could have won the game. | Regret: We didn't play well, so we lost the game. |
| If you had saved your money, you could have bought a computer. | Criticism: You didn't save your money, so now you can't afford a computer. |
| If it had snowed, we could have gone skiing. | Regret: It didn't snow, so we couldn't go skiing. |
When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the exercises.