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 teachers , I would like to understand more about the use of the mixed conditionals, especially the one that consists of : (subject + If + simple past + would/could + past participle, how can I internalize the concept of them and which situations should I use one and not the other ? Help me please!
Hello Bruno2021,
To avoid any ambiguity can you give an example of the structure? That way we can address the conceptual questions in concrete rather than abstract terms and make sure we're being as clear as possible.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
For sure Peter , I can give you an example, EX: If we left yesterday, we wouldn’t have got stuck in a traffic jam.
I would like to know how and what situations I should use the structure above in comparison with the other structure: ( If + past participle + would) could you help me and give me some examples?
Thank you!
Hi again Bruno2012,
That's great. An example really helps to clarify.
So, the answer is that this sentence is not grammatically possible because it gives us a condition (If we left...) later in time than the result (we wouldn't have got stuck...). Unless you can change the arrow of time to make results happen before causes this is not possible!
There are really only two rules when forming conditional sentences in English:
With these, you can make all sorts of conditionals:
...and so on. Conditionals in English are very flexible!
Occasionally you may come across sentences which appear to break rule number 1 by matching a seemingly later cause with an earlier result. For example:
This looks very similar to your example, which I said was wrong. It has a past simple condition with a past perfect result, so it looks like it breaks rule 1. However, in this example the condition is a statement about something generally true, so it is true before the result as well as after. It's not about a time in the past when the speaker was lazy, but rather about the speaker's personality which is always true. So in fact it does not break rule 1. Your sentence is different because it describes a particular event in the past, not a generally true fact about the world.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Peter, thank you very much for your explanation, I understood perfectly. However, there is just one more question that I want to ask you, it is from the grammar test and it says: They would have seen the fireworks if they were here 15 minutes earlier. So , we can use 'minutes' that already passed in the present conditon but not adverbs like yesterday, right?
Hello Bruno2021,
The correct answer to that question in the test is not '...if they were here...' but '...'if they had been here...'. It follows the same rules I explained above.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you very much my friend , you helped me a lot.
This explanation is really helpful for me too.
Hello everyone,
I have seen several times that 'will' and 'would' can be used in the if-cluase of a sentense.
Would you please explain in what situations we can use modal verbs 'will' and 'would' in the if-clause of a sentence and what will be the structure of main clause in each case, giving several examples?
This, I think, is an advanced topic of English, usually not found in grammar books and websites. Why hasn't this topic included in this platform?
Now unimportant question: How can I change my username ShetuYogme?
Thank you.
Hello ShetuYogme,
Yes, it's possible to use 'will' or 'would' in an 'if' clause when they communicate the idea of willingness or when they refer to later results. You can find some useful examples of sentences such as in the 'Conditional clauses with will or would' section of this Cambridge Dictionary page (be sure to scroll down to near the end).
Our grammar doesn't cover every single point and focuses on the most common and most useful grammar.
Regarding changing your username, the easiest thing to do would be to create a new account using a different email address. If you prefer to keep the same email address, please contact us requesting that your account be deleted. This can take a few days, and once you have confirmation that it has been deleted, you can proceed to create a new one.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team