In the listening lesson “The Chair!”, I talked about how I attempted to assemble an outdoor chair.
I said:
If I hadn’t been so overly confident and if I had paid more attention to the instructions, I would have realized that I was doing it all wrong.
This is an example of the 3rd conditional sentence structure. It is also called the past unreal conditional or past hypothetical conditional.
It is used to imagine a different past than the one that happened. 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 been so overly confident…
…if I had paid more attention to the instructions…
Did I pay attention to the instructions? No, I didn’t. I am imagining what would have happened if I had paid attention to the instructions.
What would have happened if I had done those things? The result:
…I would have realized that I was doing it all wrong.
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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
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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.
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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!
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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 a 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!
If you have trouble with conditional sentences, please read Conditional Sentences: An Introduction
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Practice
(clicking on the links will take you to another website)
Quiz #1 – English Page
Quiz #2 – University of Victoria
Melanie is a TESL-certified English teacher. She lives near Toronto, Canada. Through her blog, videos, podcasts, and social media, she helps thousands of people around the world improve their English. She makes English a little less confusing and a little more fun! She also helps people understand Canadian and American culture. She believes that natural interaction with a native speaker helps people practice what they have learned and builds their confidence with English!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear Melanie ,
which of the following sentences is correct?
If my parents hadn’t lent me money, I could never have afforded university.
If my parents hadn’t lent me money, I could have never afforded university.
My English teacher said the first one is grammatically wrong.
Good question, Yousef!
Actually, in American English there are 3 acceptable forms:
1. I never could have afforded…
2. I could never have afforded…
3. I could have never afforded…
#1 & 2 are more common, #3 sounds very formal.
Why did your English teacher say that my example was grammatically wrong? I’m curious to hear his/her explanation. Is your teacher British or American?
The only “rule” I can think of here is that an adverb usually goes after the helping/auxiliary verb and before the main verb. Perhaps that’s why your teacher said #3 is grammatically correct. In American English, many things are acceptable even though they are not grammatically correct!
Thank you so much for answering my questions.Most of the books that are taught in my country are American ones(like The Top Notch and summit ,The interchange , the headway,and many more depending on the institute where you go) maybe they are too formal.I have some American and Canadian friends and I chat with them once in a while.I figured out sometimes they remarked that a sentence which I am sure grammatically is correct ,is wrong that I conclude those books are either too formal or follow the British rule for being consistent.Could you please have a topic on differences between American an British grammar?
Hi, Yousef!
Unfortunately I don’t know a lot about British grammar! I have been learning more about it from my students, but it’s hard to comment on it because I didn’t grow up in a British environment.
The one thing I do know is that British English is usually more ‘correct’ than American English! British English usually follows the rules better & is more formal than American English, which is why I asked if your teacher was American or British!
= )