Difficulty
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Let’s have a look at the form and meaning of the third conditional:
Form:
if + had + past participle + would have + (without ‘to’)
|
If |
Past condition |
Result |
|
If |
had + past participle |
would have + infinitive (without ‘to’) |
|
If |
I had won the lottery, |
I would have bought a car. |
|
If |
James had become rich, |
she would have married him. |
|
If |
it had snowed last July, |
would you have been surprised? |
|
If |
you had come in the summer, |
you could have stayed with us. |
|
If |
you had come in the summer, |
you might have even got your own room. |
|
Result |
if |
Past condition |
|
had + past participle |
if |
had + past participle |
|
I would have bought a car |
if |
I had won the lottery. |
|
She would have married him |
if |
he had become rich. |
|
Would you have been surprised |
if |
it had snowed last July? |
|
You could have stayed with us |
if |
you had come in the summer. |
|
You might have even got your own room |
if |
you had come in the summer. |
|
Note: Sometimes, we change would with should, could, or might. |
Meaning:
We use the third conditional to express an impossible connection between one imaginary past event (if + had + past participle) and another imaginary result (would have + infinitive [without ‘to’]). This conditional is known as the ‘impossible’ conditional, because it is used to talk about ‘impossible’ hypothetical situations in the past. Therefore, we are using a past tense to speak about the past condition, and the would have + infinitive (without ‘to’) to speak about the result.
Use the following exercises to test yourself.
[watupro 4]