1. Grammar
  2. B1-B2 grammar
  3. Conditionals: third and mixed

Conditionals: third and mixed

Conditionals: third and mixed

Do you know how to use third conditionals and mixed conditionals? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

Look at these examples to see how third and mixed conditionals are used.

We would have walked to the top of the mountain if the weather hadn't been so bad.
If we'd moved to Scotland when I was a child, I would have a Scottish accent now.
If she was really my friend, she wouldn't have lied to me.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Conditionals 2: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

Do you know how to use third and mixed conditionals?

Third conditionals and mixed conditionals

Conditionals describe the result of a certain condition. The if clause tells you the condition (If I hadn't been ill) and the main clause tells you the result (I would have gone to the party). The order of the clauses does not change the meaning.

If I hadn't been ill, I would have gone to the party.
I would have gone to the party if I hadn't been ill.

Conditional sentences are often divided into different types.

Third conditional

The third conditional is used to imagine a different past. We imagine a change in a past situation and the different result of that change.

If I had understood the instructions properly, I would have passed the exam.
We wouldn't have got lost if my phone hadn't run out of battery.

In third conditional sentences, the structure is usually: If + past perfect >> would have + past participle.

Mixed conditionals

We can use mixed conditionals when we imagine a past change with a result in the present or a present change with a result in the past.

1. Past/Present 

Here's a sentence imagining how a change in a past situation would have a result in the present.

If I hadn't got the job in Tokyo, I wouldn't be with my current partner.

So the structure is: If + past perfect >> would + infinitive.

2. Present/Past

Here's a sentence imagining how a different situation in the present would mean that the past was different as well.

It's really important. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have called you on your holiday.

And the structure is: If + past simple >> would have + past participle.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Conditionals 2: Grammar test 2

Try another grammar lesson
Average: 4.2 (136 votes)
Profile picture for user Hopefinder

Submitted by Hopefinder on Wed, 12/09/2018 - 08:43

Permalink
Hello everyone, first I would like to thank you all for the extraordinary efforts you are doing. Could you kindly correct me for the following sentences? 1)) Supposed we are in summer and I would say: " She would go skiing if it snowed tomorrow" ; I imagine it had a chance to snow tomorrow, even in hot summer. 2)) In the same day which it supposed to snow, but did not, I would say: "She would go skiing now if it had snowed." 3)) The day after , I would say: "She would have gone skiing if it had snowed yesterday." Am I using "if" correctly? Thank you in advance and greetings.

Submitted by MariaMafalda on Wed, 15/08/2018 - 18:24

Permalink
Hi everyone @TheLearnEnglishTeam. I thought I knew all the rules related to conditional sentences until I came across the following sentence uttered by a native speaker (a very famous native speaker, by the way). This is the sentence: "If we didn’t build the public infrastructure in the early 20th century to support mass electrification, only the wealthy would have had heat and running water". My question is: shouldn´t he have started the "if" clause using "If we hadn´t built". This would make more sense to me. Am I wrong? Thank you for your kind reply. Cheers!

Hi MariaMafalda,

Yes, 'if we hadn't built' is the most correct form here. As you can see, native speakers do make mistakes, particularly when speaking spontaneously, in which people often change structures in mid-sentence.

Best wishes,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by MortazaAyabenzer on Sun, 08/07/2018 - 19:38

Permalink

In this lesson: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/past-habits-used-to-would-and-the-past-simple What do you mean by saying that "However, only ‘used to’ is possible when we talk about past states."I think we basically use "would" for past habits. Could you please explain it more and give more example? Best

Hello MortazaAyabenzer,

This use of 'would' is not uncommon, but we also use 'used to' and the past simple quite often, probably more often than 'would' in fact. I think you might find the explanation of 'used to' and 'would' on this Cambridge Dictionary page useful and would recommend that to you. If you have any other questions after that, we're happy to help, but please make them about a specific sentence or pair of sentences if possible.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by MortazaAyabenzer on Sun, 08/07/2018 - 17:48

Permalink
Could you please explain" would+ verb" Structure? For example, in the sentence: when I was at Istanbul University studying chemistry, I would do research and I would refer to articles10 or 20 years old. Should I use simple past Instead of"would do" or"would refer"? Best regards,

Hello MortazaAyabenzer,

Yes, you could replace both forms with the past simple and it would also be correct. In this case, 'would' is not part of a conditional form. It is used here to refer to a habitual past action, which you can read more about on our Past habits page.

All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by MortazaAyabenzer on Fri, 06/07/2018 - 19:05

Permalink
Hi, I have difficulty with understanding the difference between these two structures" would have+ PP" And" would+verb".For example, in the sentence: these people wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work if it weren’t for the addition of the movie theater. Why the writer has not used ...Would not have the opportunity to work if.....