The 3rd conditional sentence structure is also called the past unreal
conditional or past hypothetical conditional. It is used to imagine a different past
than the one that happened.
If I hadn’t eaten so much, I wouldn’t have got so fat.
The if clause is unreal. It did not happen. The result is what would have happened
IF the if clause were real:
If I hadn’t eaten so much,
Did I eat a lot? Yes, I did. However, I’m imagining what would have happened if I
hadn’t eaten so much.
What would have happened if I hadn’t eaten so much? The result:
…I wouldn’t have got so fat.
Am I fat now? Yes. I would not be fat now if hadn’t eaten so much in the past. If I
ate well in the past, I would not be fat now.
The 3rd conditional form:
If + past perfect, would have + past participle
NOTES:
*the past perfect tense = had + past participle
*in spoken English, subject + would AND subject + had are usually contracted:
I’d, you’d, she’d, he’d, we’d, they’d*
Because you are imagining the past, you can ONLY use if. In this sentence
structure, you cannot use when, after, or any other time conjunction
Common uses of this sentence structure:
1.What would you have done if … ?
What would you have done if you hadn’t been accepted at any
university?
What would you have done if we hadn’t been there to help?
What would you have done differently if you had known you
would never speak to him again?
2. If I had known…
If I had known that you needed help, I would have come!
If we had known you were sick, we would have gone to visit you in
the hospital.
We wouldn’t have driven all this way if we had known the museum
was closed.
If I had known that you needed a ride to school, I would have
driven you.
I really wanted to see that movie! If I had known you were going, I
would have gone with you!
3. You can use this sentence structure to express regret about something in the
past, and to wish the past had happened differently.
If we had known the movie was so awful, we wouldn’t have
wasted our money on it.
If I had finished high school and gone to university, I would have
gotten a better job.
4. You can use this structure to criticize someone/something or point out
mistakes:
If you hadn’t stayed out so late last night, you wouldn’t have slept
in and been late for work!
It would have been quicker if we had taken a taxi to the park
instead of walking.
More example sentences:
If I hadn’t gone to the party, I would have never met my husband.
We would have gone out last night if we hadn’t been so tired.
If his brother hadn’t reminded him, Dan would have forgotten his
wife’s birthday.
If she had seen the ice on the road, she would have slowed down
and she wouldn’t have gotten in an accident.
Other modal verbs can be used in the result clause:
might have + past participle = maybe
If I had known you would be at the party, I might have gone.
If I had known about his police record, I might not have dated him.
If he had finished high school, he might have had a better life.
If she had been wearing her seatbelt, she might have survived the
car accident.
could have + past participle = possibility or ability
I could have been a world-class swimmer if I had practiced more
when I was younger.
If I had known you didn’t have a car, I could have driven you to the
meeting.
If my parents hadn’t lent me money, I could never have
afforded university.
If you had told me the TV was broken, I could have fixed it for you!
It is possible to use the past perfect continuous in the if clause…
If you had been watching where you were going, you wouldn’t
have hit your head!
If she had been paying attention in class yesterday, she would have
heard that we have a quiz today.
…OR would + present perfect continuous in the result clause…
If you had been at the party, you would have been laughing at his
outrageous outfit too!
If you had told me that you weren’t coming, I wouldn’t have been
standing there like a fool waiting for you!
…but NOT both at the same time!
