Conditionals: third and mixed
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 Peter and Tony,
I don't think the past simple would work here. The result clause is in the hypothetical past, or you can say in an imagined past.
You could apparently use the modal verbs like would or might.
I would write the sentence as follows:
And I think you could say
Does it make sense, Tony?
Shetu Yogme.
Hello Peter and LearnEnglish team,
In an comment, you say there are only two rules regarding conditional structures. One of those two rules is:
But in the following mixed conditional sentence, the condition seems to occur after the result:
In this case, 'if clause' is a hypothetical future situation with a past result. Although it seems to violate the rule stated above, it sounds fine and correct to me. I would be grateful if you could just explain.
Shetu Yogme.
Hello ShetuYogme,
In your example the condition does seem to be after the result at first glace. However, this is not the case.
If I weren't moving to my new house next month... does not describe something which was not true at the time of the party. It describes something that was true then (and so fits the rule) and which is still true at the time of speaking. What the person is really saying is that the move next month required preparation and so made going to the party impossible.
You can see a similar construction used when the condition represents general time:
- getting angry refers to a past situation; being such a rude person refers to something general, true in the past as well as the present.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Peter,
Thank you very much for your detailed answer.
The meaning of the sentence that I stated above is: "I'm moving to my new house next month, therefore I didn't come to your birthday party."
I have got another sentence:
The condition is a hypothetical present situation, and the result is a hypothetical past situation. Was condition again true when there was a need to help the listner?
Shetu Yogme.
Hello again Shetu Yogme,
I think in this case the past perfect is better: If I hadn't been in the middle... would have been happy...
You could argue that the speaker is still in the middle of the meeting - it has not finished at the time of speaking - and so the condition is ongoing. However, this is irrelevant to the action in the main clause. What mattered was that the speaker was busy at the time of the request, not whether or not the meeting continues.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Peter,
I have also the same opinion. The correct sentence should be:
I picked up this sentence from the following website:
https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-resources/english-grammar/mixed-conditional/
I think some sources in the Internet have a plenty of errors in terms of grammar and logic in the content they offer on English Grammar.
Shetu Yogme
Dear Trainer,
Could you please write 3-5 sentences (using conditionals: third and mixed) as an example, which we typically use in our daily conversations?
Hello Farhat-R,
Here are some examples for you:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thank you so much sir.
Hello, I have a question.
In the Mixed conditional (present/past) using the verb "to be," can I use "was" in the first and third person singular?
For example:
"If she wasn't diabetic, she would have eaten pasta."
Or "If I wasn't a good person, I wouldn't have helped you."
Or should I use "were" instead of "was" as in the Second conditional?
Thank you.