CONDITIONALS 3 : TYPE 1 , TYPE 2 AND TYPE 3

CONDITIONALS 3 : TYPE 1 , TYPE 2 AND TYPE 3

Students sometimes have difficulty with conditional sentences, either

because they cannot find the appropriate type

of condition to suit the situation, or because they make mistakes with

the sequence of tenses. Here, I’ll only be

dealing with the three basic types of condition, commonly referred to

as Type 1, Type 2 and Type 3.

CONDITIONAL TYPE 3

TYPE 3

PAST CONDITIONAL

UNREAL PAST

TYPE 3

We can use conditional type 3 / past conditional / the third Conditional

to talk about 'impossible' conditions,

impossible because they are in the past and we cannot change what has

happened

This sometimes means that conditional sentences are about situations

in the past that did not occur and are

imaginary.

We use it to:

1. criticize people,

2. point out their mistakes or

3. express regret about the past.


Sometimes we do things which we regret afterwards. Let us take

the example of the little boy who was knocked

down and killed by a car last week when he ran into the road to get

his ball.

The little boy ran into the road.

The car knocked him down.

The little boy was killed.

If the little boy hadn’t run into the road, the car wouldn’t have knocked

him down.

He would have lost his ball but not his life.

Here we are looking at a past event and are just imagining what would

or might have happened if circumstances had been different.

Summary:

When is conditional type 3 used?

We use conditional type 3 / past conditional / the third conditional

when we imagine the possible consequences of

past actions and situations which did not in fact happen.

Which tenses do we need?

If + past perfect + I would have done

I would have done + if + past perfect

If we had beaten Manchester, we would have been champion.

If + past perfect tense + I could have / might have done

I could have / might have done + If + past perfect tense

If he had struggled, he could have reached his aim. (ability)

If they had informed me, I might have helped them, (probability /

possibility)

I was tired so I went to bed early.

===If I hadn't been tired, I wouldn't have gone to bed early.

I wouldn't have gone to bed early If I hadn't been tired.

They didn’t study and consequently they didn’t pass the exam.

They failed.

===>If they had studied, they would have passed the exam. They

wouldn’t have failed.

They wouldn’t have failed. They would have passed the exam If they

had studied.

I didn’t meet you at the station because I didn’t know you were coming.

===>If I had known you were coming, I would have met you at the station.

I would have met you at the station if I had known you were coming.

If she had come to school yesterday, she would have done the test.

She would have done the test if she had come to school yesterday.

But she didn’t come to school yesterday, so she didn’t do the test.

If she hadn’t worked hard, she wouldn’t have passed her exam.

She wouldn’t have passed her exam if she hadn’t worked hard.

But she worked hard, so she passed her exam.

If I had studied harder I would have got a better job.