The

Third Condi+onal
The third condi+onal is used to talk about
how the past could have been different. We
also use it a lot to express regrets.
Everything is imaginary/hypothe+cal because
we can’t travel back in +me to change the
past…for now!
If the pandemic hadn’t happened, classes would have con+nued in person.
(but the pandemic happened and classes are now online)
If I’d known it was your birthday, I would have called you!
(but I didn’t know, so I didn’t call you…sorry!)
If Marie Curie hadn’t made discoveries in radia+on, who knows how medicine would’ve evolved!
(but she made the discoveries, so we know how medicine evolved)

What would you have told him if you had seen him?
(you didn’t see him, so you didn’t tell him anything)
In English, we use different verb combina+ons to talk about poten+al/hypothe+cal situa+ons
in the present and in the past.

past simple = hypothe+cal present/future

past perfect = hypothe+cal past

modal + infini+ve = hypothe+cal present/future

modal + have + past par+ciple = hypothe+cal past

2nd Condi+onal (hypothe+cal situa+ons in the present/future)

If + past simple , modal + infini+ve
If you did your homework, you wouldn’t be so confused in class.
(but you DON’T DO your homework, so you ARE confused)

3rd Condi+onal (hypothe+cal situa+ons in the past)

If + past perfect , modal + have + past par+ciple
If you had done your homework, you wouldn’t have been so confused last class.
(but you DIDN’T DO your homework, so you WERE confused)
 Modal Verbs - Differences in Meaning

would - inten+on
could - ability/possibility
should - advice, sugges+ons, recommenda+ons
might/may - probability

If I had won the lo-ery,

I would have traveled around the world.
I could have helped my family and friends.
I should have changed my iden:ty.
I might have quit my job.
(but I didn’t win the lo-ery, so none of these things happened)
 !
Never use a modal verb in the If Clause
(except “could” when it’s the past of “can”)
THIS IS TRUE FOR ALL CONDITIONALS!

had
If I would have woken up earlier, I wouldn’t have been late to work.
If she could have helped you, I’m sure she would have offered to do it.

I wouldn’t have gone to Spain by ship if I could have flown there.

!
 As with all other condi+onals, you can reverse the order of the clauses for emphasis.
Usually, what you say first is emphasized more. Choose what to say first depending on the context.

When you reverse the clauses, don’t use a comma. Don’t use a comma when you reverse the clauses. ;-)

If I had woken up earlier, I wouldn’t have been late to work.

I wouldn’t have been late to work if I had woken up earlier.

If she could have helped you, I’m sure she would’ve offered to do it.
I’m sure she would’ve offered to help you if she could have.

If they had invited you, would you have gone to the party?
Would you have gone to the party if they had invited you?
 Same Sentence - Different Condi+onals
Zero: facts, things that are generally true, procedures
If you eat two kilos of ice cream, you get sick.
present, present

First: things that are very probable, promises, threats

If you eat two kilos of ice cream, you’ll get sick.
present, future form

Second: hypothe+cal situa+ons in the present/future, advice

If you ate two kilos of ice cream, you’d get sick.
past simple/cont., modal + infini+ve

Third: hypothe+cal situa+ons in the past, regrets

If you’d eaten two kilos of ice cream, you would’ve got/go`en sick.
past perfect simple/cont., modal + have + past par+ciple