Mixed conditionals

  • B2 · Upper-intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

Mixed conditionals: a past cause with a result now (If I hadn't missed that train, I wouldn't be married to Nikhil now) and something true now with a past result (If he weren't so friendly, he would have ignored me). The student reads how one missed train changed a life, matches and builds both kinds, fixes the usual errors, and guesses the past causes of facts about each other's lives today.

Teach this lessonDownload PDF

Free, no card needed. The PDF has every slide, the homework and an answer key.

If I hadn't…I wouldn't bewould have

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Reading: the train I missedReading comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find the mixed conditionalsGrammar exercise
  6. 6Mixed conditionalsGrammar rule
  7. 7Match the halvesGrammar exercise
  8. 8Choose the formGrammar exercise
  9. 9My uncle's storyGrammar exercise
  10. 10Find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  11. 11Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  12. 12Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  13. 13Guess the causeSpeaking practice
  14. 14About youGrammar exercise
  15. 15Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: BiscuitGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: which sentence is correct?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the sentencesGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: a thank-you noteDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Do you believe in love at first sight? Why, or why not?
  2. How did you meet your best friend or your partner?
  3. Are you a patient person? When does your patience run out?

Grammar rule

Mixed conditionals

A mixed conditional takes one half from the third conditional and one half from the second, because the cause and the result are at different times.

if partResultExample
A past cause → a result nowif + had + past participlewould / might / could + verb (now, today, still)If my grandparents hadn't opened a restaurant, I wouldn't know how to cook.
True now or always → a past resultif + past simple (were for be)would / might / could + have + past participleIf I didn't love chocolate so much, I wouldn't have eaten the whole cake.

Compare: you know these

  • Second conditional, now → now: If I knew her address, I would send her a card.
  • Third conditional, past → past: If I had known her address last month, I would have sent her a card.

Time words help

now, today, still, by now, these days → a result now · yesterday, last night, in 2015, that morning → a past result. The if part can also come second: The plants wouldn't be dead now if you had watered them last week.

Watch out

  • For a past cause, the past perfect: If it didn't rain all night, the game would be on now → If it hadn't rained all night…
  • For a result now, would + verb, not would have: If we had brought a map, we would have known the way now → we would know the way now.
  • For a past result, would have + past participle: If he were a better swimmer, he wouldn't need help in the lake yesterday → he wouldn't have needed help.
  • You will hear If I would have known in American speech, but in writing, use had: If I had known…
  • 'd can be had or would: If I'd (= I had) listened, I'd (= I would) be rich now.
  • might or could instead of would: the result is possible, not sure: If I had stuck with the piano, I might be in a band today.

Teach it live with video and a whiteboard, or print it: the PDF has every slide, the homework and the answers.

Teach this lesson
← Unit 4Make, let, get someone to