Third Conditional
for no possibility
If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a car.
The first conditional and second conditionals talk about the future. With the third
conditional we talk about the past. We talk about a condition in the past that
did not happen. That is why there is no possibility for this condition. The third conditional
is also like a dream, but with no possibility of the dream coming true.
Last week you bought a lottery ticket. But you did not win. :-(
Notice that we are thinking about an impossible past condition. You did not win the
lottery. So the condition was not true, and that particular condition can never be true
because it is finished. We use the Past Perfect tense to talk about the impossible past
condition. We use would have + past participle to talk about the impossible past result.
The important thing about the third conditional is that both the condition and result are
impossible now.
Look at these example sentences:
Homework
Third Conditional
A. Complete the Third Conditional sentences by underlining the correct verb forms.
1. If we would have left / had left earlier, we hadn't been / wouldn't have been late.
2. I had eaten / would have eaten the toast if you hadn't burnt / wouldn't have burnt it.
3. If I had known / would known you were vegan, I wouldn't have cooked / hadn't cooked beef.
4. I had cleaned / would have cleaned the flat if I had known / would have known you were coming.
5. If the lesson had been / was been more interesting, I wouldn't have fallen / had fallen asleep.
B. Match the Third Conditional sentence halves with their endings, putting the verbs in the
correct form.
1. If my alarm had gone off …… a. if the pay ………………………………………… higher. (be)
2. We would have enjoyed the party …… b. the cat …………………………………………… it. (not / eat)
3. Tim would have accepted the job …… c. I ………………………………………… the phone. (not / answer)
4. I would have left a tip …… d. if we …………………………………………… (not / be) so tired.
5. If the floor hadn't been wet, …… e. I …………………………………………… sugar in it. (not / put)
6. If the coffee had been sweeter, …… f. if you ……………………………………………… me one. (offer)
7. We would have gone to Spain …… g. if the waiter …………………………………… so rude. (not / be)
8. If you'd put the fish in the fridge, …… h. Grandma ……………………………………………… (not / slip)
9. If I'd known it was him calling, …… i. if the fares …………………………………………… cheaper. (be)
10. I would have had a biscuit …… j. I …………………………………………………… (not / oversleep)
C. Complete the Third Conditional sentences using the verbs below in the correct form.
behave not / wake fill know have not / quit bring not / run be not / drink
1. If you …………………………………………… up the tank, we …………………………………………… out of petrol.
2. The baby ………………………………………………… up if you …………………………………………… a bit quieter.
3. I …………………………………………… a glass of wine if you ………………………………………… the whole bottle.
4. If the kids ……………………………………………, the babysitter ………………………………………………
5. If I ………………………………………… how far away it was, I ……………………………………………… the car.
