How Does the Third Conditional Verb Work in English Grammar?
There are a total of 4 types of conditional sentences in English namely zero conditional, first conditional, second conditional, and third conditions. In this article, we will learn about the third conditional verb form. The third conditional verb always refers to the past. We talk about the situations that happened or didn't happen in the past.
Example:
If I had won a million dollars, I would have started my own business.
(But, I didn't win anything).
If she had met her friend, she would have asked him.
(Unfortunately, she didn’t meet her).
If we hadn’t studied, we wouldn’t have scored good grades.
(But we studied and scored good grades).
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How to Form Third Conditional Sentences?
While making third conditional sentences, we use the past perfect after ‘if’ and then “would have” and the “past participle” at the end of the sentence. In other words, we use the past participle in the “if form” and the present infinitive (have + past participle) in the main clause.
Third Conditional Verb Form Structure
To form a sentence using a third conditional verb, we use If + Past Perfect + Would/Wouldn’t have + Past Participle.
Example:
If you had invited me for dinner, I would have come.
If you had invited me for dinner, I wouldn’t have missed it.
Third Conditional Verb Form
In the third conditional sentence, we use past perfect with the “if clause” and the perfect conditional or perfect continuous conditional with the main clause.
When to Use the Third Conditional Verb Form?
The third conditional structure is used to talk about unreal situations in the past. In other words, it is used to talk about things that did not happen in the past. The third conditional verb is often used to express regret or criticism.
How to Use a Third Conditional Verb?
The third conditional sentence is generally used to explain that the present situation would be different if something different had happened in the past. For example:
If you had told me you needed a car, I would have left earlier.
If I had prepared my lunch, I could have gone to watch movies.
The above sentences describe a situation that was likely enough, but did not actually happen in the past. In the above first sentence, the speaker was capable of leaving earlier but did not. Also, the speaker in the second sentence was capable of cooking lunch, but did not. These are all the situations that were likely, but sadly did not happen.
Note: While using the third conditional verb, we use the past perfect tense ( had + past participle) in the if clause. The modal auxiliary verbs such as (would, could, might, etc) + have + past participle in the main clause describes the theoretical situations that could have happened in the past.
Following are the common mistakes that are made while using the third conditional verb.
If you would have told me you needed a car, I would have left earlier.
If you had told me you needed a car, I would have left earlier.
Explanation:
With the third condition verb, do not use the modal auxiliary verb in the if clause.
If I had prepared my lunch, I could go to watch movies.
If I had prepared my lunch, I could have gone to watch movies.
Explanation:
The third conditional sentence expresses a situation that could have happened only in the past if a certain condition had been met. Due to this, we use the modal auxiliary verb + have + the past participle.
How to Combine the Second Conditional and Third Conditional?
It is possible to combine both second conditional and third conditional verbs. There are two ways to combine both the second conditional and the third conditional verb. We can either:
Describe the Present Effects of Past Situations.
If + Past Participle, Would Have + Verb
If I were wrong, I would have apologized.
Describe the Present Effects of a Present Situation.
If + Past Participle, Would + Verb
If we hadn’t missed the flight, we would be in our hotel by now.
Here are some examples:
If I had spent a year in the US, my English would be free-flowing now.
If she weren’t so shy, she’d have to watch the movie on her own.
The cricket fans would be unhappy if their team had been dismissed.
The weather wouldn’t be so cool if it hadn’t rained so much yesterday.
Third Conditional Verbs List of Examples:
Following are the third conditional verbs list of examples
If I had scored good marks on my Master's, I could have done a Ph.D.
If little Harry’s parents had gone on holiday, his parents would have looked after him.
If the property prices had gone down last year, we might have bought a cottage in the countryside.
If it hadn’t rained, we could have gone for an evening walk.
If I had been you, I would have achieved good grades.
If I had known her phone number, I would have called her.
If she had felt more relaxed, she wouldn’t have driven so fast.
If he had driven slowly, he would have observed the “STOP” sign,
If your alarm clock had rung on time, you would have had time to have breakfast at home.
If she hadn’t met Hitesh, they wouldn’t have fallen in love.
FAQs on Third Conditional Verb Explained: Rules, Uses & Examples
1. What exactly is a third conditional sentence in English grammar?
A third conditional sentence is used to talk about a hypothetical or impossible situation in the past and its probable past result. Because these events did not actually happen, this conditional is often used to express regrets or to imagine a different outcome. For example: "If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam." This implies that the speaker did not study hard and therefore did not pass.
2. What is the grammatical formula or structure for the third conditional?
The third conditional sentence has a specific two-part structure involving the past perfect and perfect conditional tenses. The formula is:
- If-Clause (the condition): If + Subject + Past Perfect (had + past participle)
- Main Clause (the result): Subject + Perfect Conditional (would/could/might + have + past participle)
For example: "If she had saved her money (If-Clause), she would have bought a car (Main Clause)."
3. Can you provide some examples of third conditional sentences?
Certainly. Here are a few examples that show how the third conditional works:
- If we had left earlier, we would have caught the train.
- He could have avoided the accident if he hadn't been driving so fast.
- If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
- They might have won the match if they had played as a team.
4. How is the third conditional different from the second conditional?
The main difference between the second and third conditionals is the time frame. The second conditional discusses an unreal or hypothetical situation in the present or future (e.g., "If I had a million dollars, I would travel the world"). In contrast, the third conditional discusses an unreal, impossible situation in the past (e.g., "If I had won the lottery last year, I would have bought a house").
5. In what real-life situations would you use the third conditional?
The third conditional is frequently used in daily conversations to express a range of feelings about past events. Common applications include:
- Expressing Regret: "If I had listened to your advice, I wouldn't have made that mistake."
- Criticising Past Actions: "If you had been more careful, you wouldn't have broken the vase."
- Imagining Different Outcomes: "If the Titanic had missed the iceberg, it would have completed its journey."
6. Do you always need a comma in a third conditional sentence?
A comma is only needed when the 'if-clause' comes before the main clause. If you reverse the order of the clauses, you should not use a comma. For example:
- With comma: "If I had seen him, I would have said hello."
- Without comma: "I would have said hello if I had seen him."
The meaning of the sentence remains exactly the same in both structures.
7. Besides 'would have', can other modal verbs be used in the main clause?
Yes, while 'would have' is the most common, you can use other modal verbs like 'could have' and 'might have' in the main clause to express different shades of meaning.
- 'Could have' suggests that the result was a possibility or an opportunity: "If I had trained harder, I could have won the race."
- 'Might have' suggests a more uncertain or less likely possibility: "If she had applied for the job, she might have gotten an interview."
