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 MortazaAyabenzer
That is not a third conditional. 'have been paying' is present perfect continuous, which is essentially talking about the present, not an unreal past tense. Thus it's like a first conditional.
Does that help you make sense of it?
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello dipakrghandhi,
The sentence contains a reduced passive form which could be a present or a past form:
The use of will in the second clause tells us that the speaker is using a likely/real conditional; that is, they consider the situation in the if-clause to be a realistic possibility.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello again dipakrgandhi,
I'm sorry for the confusion. My example should have read '...would allow...'. When I copied the original fragment from your question I forgot to change the second part. I have corrected the answer now.
We can create all kinds of conditonal structures provided we follow two rules:
1. The sentence must be logical in terms of sequence. In other words, the condition much come before the result in time.
2. The sentence as a whole (that is to say, both clauses) must either refer to a real/likely situation or an unreal/unlikely situation. We cannot mix these.
Thus, if we have an unreal condition ('if it were...') then we must have an unreal result ('...would...').
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Arash Yekta
Please note that 'had better' is a pretty strong thing to say to someone and so it's a little unusual to use 'had better' in a question about someone else. And if we use this form in a question, it's usually a negative question (follow the link for a detailed explanation).
If you want to use a second conditional, I'd suggest something like 'What would Jane need to take if she were in a hurry?' instead.
Hope this helps.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team