Third Conditional

Third Conditional

The grammatical structure “Conditionals” is an important topic that we must study because conditional sentences are used in our day-to-day lives. In this article, you will study the third conditional. If you want to study the other conditionals, you can also study by visiting Study English Page.

What is the third conditional?

The third conditional is a hypothetical or unreal condition that shows an event that did not happen in the past. The event could have happened under a certain condition. Consequently, the third conditional shows an untrue situation in the past.

• If I had studied hard for the test last year, I would have passed the test.

This example explains that I had a test last year and I failed that test. The condition shows that the event did not happen in the past; therefore, I did not get the result of passing the test in the past. After the result, the situation was untrue. It did not have a possibility after taking the test, but before taking the test.

• He should not have missed the opportunity. If he had told me, I would have lent the money.

Look at this example. It means that the person missed an opportunity at some time in the past. If he had told me before missing the opportunity, I would have given the money. The condition was no longer possible after missing the opportunity in the past. After missing the opportunity, the condition was untrue or hypothetical and showed that the event had no possibility at the time.

How to form the third conditional?

The third conditional is formed by using two clauses. The two clauses are the conditional clause and the result (main) clause. We use past perfect tense in the conditional clause that shows a hypothetical condition and the modal verbs “would/could/might/should + have + past participle in the main clause.

Structure of the Third Conditional

Conditional clause + Comma + Result clause

Result clause + No comma + Conditional clause

Or

If + Past Perfect Tense + Comma + Subject + Would/could/might/should + have + Verb (past participle)

Subject + Would/could/might/should + have + Verb (past participle) + If + Past Perfect Tense

• If they had met us, we would take them to their home.
• If you had requested him, he might have given you his car.
• I would have let him if he had taken permission.
• He could have reached there on time if you had lent him your car.
• If he had told me that he was ill, I would have taken him to the hospital.

Third Conditional without If

It is also possible to use the third conditional without using the word “if” in the conditional clause. If you don’t want to use the word “if”, you need to bring a change in the conditional clause. The structure of the conditional clause will become as:

Had + Sub + Verb

• Had Ali reminded me about the meeting, I would not have missed the meeting.
• If Ali had reminded me about the meeting, I would not have missed the meeting.

Both of the sentences have the same meaning, but the first one is less common.

Third Conditional Examples

• Lisa would have been in doubt if you had not promised.
• If they had requested him, he would have helped them.
• If I had had his contact number, I would have called him.
• If Adela had managed the party, would it have been different?
• If you had cooked at your home, we would not have eaten out. 
• If John had met me there, I would have handed over him your parcel.
• If I had had property in the city, I would have sold it because I needed money.
• If John had invested in different businesses, he would have minimized the risk.
• If she had shared the problem on time, someone would have found the solution.
• If Lisa and John had taken the classes of E-commerce, they would have started their own business.

Third Conditional Negative Sentences

To make third conditional negative sentences, we can make negative the conditional clause, main clause, or both of them. In each case, we add the word of negation “not”. We add the word “not” after had in the conditional clause and after would in the main clause.

If + simple past tense + Comma + Result clause (Sub + Aux + Not + Verb +………)

• If you had cooked at home, we would not have paid such an amount in the restaurant.  

If + simple past tense (Sub + Aux + Not + Verb +……) + Comma + Result clause

• If you had not cooked at home, we would have paid a lot in the restaurant.

Third Conditional Questions

We use third conditional questions to ask about possible past outcomes under certain conditions. As per the general rule, we bring the auxiliary verb to the beginning of a sentence.  

Structure

If + Simple past tense + Comma + Result clause (Auxiliary + Subject + Verb +………)

• If she had continued her struggles, would she have become the CEO of the company last year?

Result clause (Auxiliary + Subject + Verb +………) + If + Simple past tense

• Would you have lent me if I had requested to lend me your car?

Remember that we use the wh-question word before an auxiliary if there is one.

• If she had driven further on that road, where would she have reached?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between third and second conditional?

The second conditional shows an untrue situation in the present. It means that the outcome would be different in the present under the condition. On the other hand the third conditional shows an untrue situation in the past. It means that the outcome would have been different in the past under the condition.

Are type III conditional and third conditional the same?

Yes, they are the same things. They are used for the same thing. These are just two different names that we use for the same purpose.

Why do we use the third conditional?

It is used for a hypothetical condition that did not happen in the past. We use the third conditional to wish for something we had not performed. If we had performed, we would have gotten the probable outcome.  

Related Topics:

            First Conditional

            Second Conditional

            Zero Conditional