ENGLISH 9

Conditional 3
Form
If + pas perfect … would/could/might + have + past participle

Usage

The type 3 conditional refers to an impossible past condition and its probable past result.
These sentences are truly hypothetical and unreal, because it is now too late for the
condition or its result to exist. There is always some implication of regret about things
which can now never happen.

Variations
• Instead of would, you may use could (for ability or permission) or might (for possibility).
• Instead of the simple form of the perfect conditional (would have + past participle),
you may use the continuous form of the perfect conditional (would have been + verb +
ing).
• You can use the past perfect continuous in the if-clause.
• A combination of type 2 and type 3 is possible.
• The auxiliary had can be placed first and the if-omitted.
• If we had started earlier, we could have finished on time. (ability)
• If we had started earlier, we might have finished on time. (possibility)
• If we had been correct, we could have participated again. (ability
or permission)
• I was sitting in the balcony because it was very hot. If it had not
been very hot, I would have been sitting in my office.
• She was wearing a raincoat. If she hadn’t been wearing one, she
would have got wet.
• The train I intended to catch crashed and many were killed. If I had
caught that train I would be dead now. (mixed) (or would have
been killed, (type 3))
• If I had gone to college, I would be sitting in a comfortable office
now, I would not be standing at this door all day long. (But I didn’t
go to college and now I am working as a porter.)
• Had he been careful, he would not have had that accident.
Contractions
Both would and had can be contracted to ‘d, which can be confusing if you are
not confident with type 3 conditional sentences. Remember 2 rules:
• Would never appears in the if-clause so ‘d appears in the if-clause, it must be
abbreviating would.
• Had never appears before have so if ‘d appears after a pronoun just before
have, it must be abbreviating would.

EXAMPLES
• If I’d (had) known you were in the hospital, I’d (would) have visited you.
• I’d (would) have bought you a present if I’d (had) known it was your birthday.
 • IF + PAST PERFECT, WOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
If I hadn’t had a cold, I would have gone out on Friday.
• WOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE + IF + PAST PERFECT
• I would have gone out on Friday, if I hadn’t had a cold.

EXERCISE 1
A Fill the gap using the verb in brackets. Think very carefully about the
meaning of the phrase before deciding whether to use the a negative or
positive verb form.
1. I wouldn’t have been angry if you ____________________
hadn’t eaten my chocolate
mousse. (to eat)
2. If he had known you were in hospital, he _______________________
would have visited you. (to
visit)
3. We wouldn’t have come by taxi if we ________________________
had found the right the right
bus. (to find)
4. We would have visited the Prado gallery if we _______________________
had had time
time. (to have)
5. If you hadn’t been asking me questions all the time, I
_____________________
would have enjoyed the film. (to enjoy)
 • IF + PAST PERFECT, WOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
If I hadn’t had a cold, I would have gone out on Friday.
• WOULD HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE + IF + PAST PERFECT
• I would have gone out on Friday, if I hadn’t had a cold.

EXERCISE 2
1. If I ________________
had known your number, I would have phoned. (to
know)
2. If just one person had remembered my birthday, I
_______________
wouldn’t be sad. (to be)
3. I would have understood the film if it ___________________
had been in
German. (to be)
4. They ____________________
would have come to see you if they hadn’t been away.
(to come)
5. If she ___________________
hadn’t parked on a double yellow line, she wouldn’t
have got a fine. (to park)