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

Language level

B1 Intermediate

B2 Upper intermediate

Hello,

On the way to success, professional athletes must overcome multiple psychological barriers. One of them is a phenomenon called “choking.” It relates to seasoned sportsmen making rookie in-competition mistakes, the mistakes that would never have occurred if athletes were not under the immense pressure of expectations and public opinion.

Are both "would never occur" and "would never have occurred" possible in the last sentence?
Can it be a mixed conditional sentence if we imagine that a lot of such mistakes have already been made because of that pressure?

Thank you.

Hello Abu_Anu,

Yes, you can use either form here.

...would never have occurred... describes mistakes that have already happened in the past.

...would never occur... describes mistakes that happen in more general terms: past, present and future mistakes.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Teama

Hello dear teacher.My question is-
What is the difference between form(Would have+past participle)and third conditional?
We use the same structure(would have+past participle) in third conditional and i also read about this structure in section (past modals with perfect infinitives)
Thanks.

Hello sartaj,

You can use would have to express the past hypothetical/unreal result of a past situation, sometimes called the 'third conditional', as you say. However, would have can also be used in other ways, such as for speculation or prediction in the past:

I didn't call because I knew she wouldn't have finished the project yet.

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team

Mix conditional sentence: I've been tired of learning English lately. If I could go back in time, I would have done all home work my teacher gave me.
Mix conditional sentence: If she had done all the work yesterday, she would be playing golf with her friend today.
Second conditional sentence: If fish had wings, they would fly all over the sky.
Third conditional sentence: If she had know about this man, she wouldn't have married him.
Would you please correct my sentences if you find any grammatical errors? Please don't forget to cheer me up if all the sentences are correct. I've put a lot of effort into them.

Hello Nyan Htoo Pai,

Most of these are fine - well done!

In the fourth example you should use the past participle (third form) 'known' rather than 'know'.

The first sentence is fine grammatically (in terms of the verb forms used) but I think some of the vocabulary should be changed. Here's one alternative:

I've gotten/become tired of learning English lately. If I could live my life again, I would have done all the home work my teacher gave me.

I tihnk go back in time does not work here as we would see going back in time as a present action - somthing you do now which changes the past rather than something which happened earlier in your life: if I could go back in time I would do...

Peter

The LearnEnglish Team