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
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
Hello,
YouTube, Adam Levine Gets Scared by a Giant Rat, TheEllenShow
Adam Levine: Through the glass door, I saw the dog food and the biggest, grossest, gnarliest rat I'd ever seen in my life eating the dog food.
Ellen: You weren't scared; I know you're only scared of bees.
Adam Levine: Yeah, so ran after this rat. I don't know what I was going to do if I caught it.
Shouldn't it be 'what I would've done if I'd caught it' in the last sentence?
Now he's speculating about the past, imagining a situation that's the opposite of what actually happened. I think we need Type 3 here. If he wanted to describe his feeling in the very moment of chasing the rat, he would need to use 'I didn't know what I was going to do, if I caught it', it would be Type 1 moved one tense back.
Thank you
Hello Tony,
Both forms are possible.
In the present, if the speaker were relating events in real time, the sentence would be as follows:
When reporting the situation the verbs shift back:
This is an example of what is often called future in the past. Note that here you could also use I didn't know, which would indicate the speaker's lack of knowledge at the time and not necessarily in the present.
It's possible to use a past hypothetical form here too:
Note that this is necessarily a retrospective description - it is looking back with the benefit of hindsight, not describing the speaker's feelings at the time. For this reason, you can't use I didn't know here.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Good day!
I've got a question related to the mixed conditionals:
If Mike had started working on his project earlier, he might have finished it by now/ he might finish it by now.
Which alternative is correct? Can we use both? if yes, can you help me to understand in which context?
Thank you in advance.
Hello TanyaSha,
Of these two options, only 'he might have finished it by now' is correct. In this case, it isn't really a mixed conditional but rather a third conditional. It refers to an imaginary situation now: him finishing the project now when in fact he hasn't finished it.
A correct alternative to 'he might finish it by now' is 'maybe he'd be able to finish it now'. This refers to a possible outcome in a present situation that hasn't finished yet. The problem with 'by now' is that it refers to a closed time period, which is incongruent with 'might', which refers to a future change in the situation.
I hope that makes sense.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Thank you so much for the quick response! Actually, yes, it really makes sense.
One more question:
Can we use 'by now' in the second conditional or mixed conditional or it's more typical for the third conditional?
Hello TanyaSha,
OK, great, I'm glad that was helpful.
If the idea of something happening before a particular time makes sense in the situation described, then in general 'by now' is probably correct, but otherwise I'm afraid it's difficult to generalise about what structures we can or cannot use 'by now' in.
If you have some specific sentences in mind, feel free to ask us about them.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
In the Grammar test 1, I think when of the sentences is wrong.
If my grandmother _____ alive, she would have loved to see me graduate.
the show answers button says that the correct answer is "were", but I think that the correct answer is "was".
Am I right about it?
Hello suma_k,
You are right in thinking that 'was' is also a correct answer for sentence 6 of Grammar test 1.
'were' is also correct, however, and is the only correct answer of the three options for sentence 6.
In second conditional sentences, we can use 'were' for all persons (first, second and third, both singular and plural). There are a few more examples of this in the Second conditional section on Conditionals: zero, first and second.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Hello
Is it incorrect to start a sentence with "hadn't"?
Such as in the following example:
Hadn't we missed the plane, we would all have been killed in the crash.
Hello WellDmsc,
It's not correct to start a sentence like that. However, you can use 'Had... not' like this:
The form cannot be contracted and the subject ('we') must come before the negative marker ('not').
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team