The third conditional

  • B1 · Intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

The third conditional: If + had + past participle, would have + past participle, for a past that did not happen (If I had looked at the tickets more carefully, I wouldn't have booked the wrong flights). Could have and might have, short forms, and second or third conditional? From a birthday trip to the wrong city to "Would you have done the same?"

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If I had knownwould havewouldn't have

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2Reading: the wrong PortlandReading comprehension
  3. 3What really happened?Grammar exercise
  4. 4Find the third conditionalGrammar exercise
  5. 5How the third conditional worksGrammar rule
  6. 6Choose the right formGrammar exercise
  7. 7Match the halvesGrammar exercise
  8. 8What would have been different?Grammar exercise
  9. 9Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  10. 10Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  11. 11Would you have done the same?Speaking practice
  12. 12About youGrammar exercise
  13. 13Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: Biscuit gets outGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: second or third?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: a plan that went wrongDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. What is the best birthday present you have ever given someone?
  2. Have you ever gone to the wrong place, or on the wrong day? What happened?
  3. When you book a trip, do you check everything twice, or are you more relaxed about it?

Grammar rule

How the third conditional works

If + had + past participle, would have + past participle

We use it for a past that did not happen, and its imaginary result. It is often about regrets.

The if partThe result
PositiveIf the café had been quieter,we would have talked for hours.
NegativeIf the movie hadn't been so long,we wouldn't have fallen asleep.
QuestionIf you had lost your keys,how would you have gotten in?

could have, might have

could have = would have been able to · might have = maybe would have: If we had brought a ball, the kids could have played on the beach. · If you had asked her nicely, she might have said yes.

Short forms

I'd gone = I had gone · I'd have gone / I would've gone = I would have gone. In fast speech, would have can sound like "would-uh". We never write that, and we never write would of.

Order

The if part can come first, with a comma, or second, with no comma: If the café had been quieter, we would have talked for hours. · We would have talked for hours if the café had been quieter.

Second or third? The second conditional is about now: If I had a car, I would drive to work. The third is about the past: If I had had a car, I would have driven to work. (Yes, had had!)
Watch out: not If I would have known: for an imaginary past, the if part has had + past participle, not would. And after have, the past participle: not would have went, but would have gone.

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