Type 3 Conditional Sentences

TYPE 3 CONDITIONAL SENTENCES

1. Function

Type 3 conditional sentences, are truly hypothetical or unreal, because it is now too late for the condition or its result to exist.
The type 3 conditional is used to refer to a time that is in the past, and a situation that is contrary to reality (not real in the past). The facts they are based on are the opposite of what is expressed.
The type 3 conditional is used to refer to an unreal past condition and its probable past result.

 

2. Form

In a Type 3 conditional sentence, the tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the perfect conditional:

IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE

If + past perfect
If it had rained
If you had worked harder

Perfect conditional
you would have got wet
you would have passed the exam.

As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. You may have to rearrange the pronouns and adjust punctuation when you change the order of the clauses, but the meaning is identical.

Examples

  • If it had rained, you would have gotten wet. = You would have gotten wet if it had rained.
  • You would have passed your exam if you had worked harder. = If you had worked harder, you would have passed your exam.
  • I would have believed you if you hadn't lied to me before. = If you hadn't lied to me before, I would have believed you.

Perfect conditional - form

The perfect conditional of any verb is composed of two elements: would + the perfect infinitive of the main verb (=have + past participle):

Subject would perfect infinitive
He
They		 would
would		 have gone...
have stayed...
Affirmative

I

would

have believed ...
Negative

She

wouldn't

have given...
Interrogative

Would

you

have left...?
Interrogative negative

Wouldn't

he

have been...?
 

Example: to go, Past conditional

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I would have gone

I wouldn't have gone

Would I have gone?

You would have gone

You wouldn't have gone

Would you have gone?

He would have gone

She wouldn't have gone

Would it have gone?

We would have gone

We wouldn't have gone

Would we have gone?

You would have gone

You wouldn't have gone

Would you have gone?

They would have gone

They wouldn't have gone

Would they have gone?

In these sentences, the time is past, and the situation is contrary to reality. The facts they are based on are the opposite of what is expressed.

Type 3 conditional sentences, are truly hypothetical or unreal, because it is now too late for the condition or its result to exist. There is always an unspoken "but..." phrase:

  • If I had worked harder I would have passed the exam
    (but I didn't work hard, and I didn't pass the exam).
  • If I'd known you were coming I'd have baked a cake
    (but I didn't know, and I haven't baked a cake).

NOTE: Both would and had can be contracted to 'd, ++which can be confusing.
Remember that:
1. would never appears in the if-clause so if 'd appears in the if clause, it must be abbreviating had. So in the examples above, "If I'd known" must be "If I had known", and "I'd have baked" must be "I would have baked.."
2. had never appears before have so if 'd appears on a pronoun just before have, it must be abbreviating would.
 

Examples

  • a. If I'd known you were in hospital, I would have visited you.
  • b. I would have bought you a present if I'd known it was your birthday.
  • c. If they'd had a better goalkeeper they wouldn't have lost the game.
  • d. If you had told me you were on the Internet, I'd have sent you an e-mail.
  • e. Would you have bought an elephant if you'd known how much they eat?