Mixed Conditionals

1 If + present , will/ imperative
2 If + past simpe/past continuous , would/could
3 If + past perfect, would have + 3f/ed
If I go to London, I will see Big Ben.
If I went to London, I would see Big Ben
If I had gone to London, I would have seen
Big Ben
Real conditions in the present or future and their
results in the present or future
Hypothetical conditions in the present or future and
their hypothetical results in the present of future
Hypothetical conditions in the past and their results
in the past

I could have gone in the past but I didn't but if I had

gone I would have seen it
action = in the past
result = in the past
Mixed If + past perfect, would If I had gone to London, I would see Big Hypothetical conditions IN THE PAST and their
1st part of cond. 3 , 2nd part of cond. 2 Ben today. result in the PRESENT
3+ 2 Jeśli pojechałabym do Londynu ( ale nie pojechałam
If I had studied harder, I would be a doctor ) to dzisiaj zobaczyłabym Big Ben.
now.
If there hadn't been a traffic jam, I would be
in the office at the moment.
If I had invested at yesterday's price, I
would be filthy rich now.

Mixed If + past, would have + 3f If I went to/were in to London , I would
1st part of 2nd cond, 2nd part of 3rd cond have seen Big Ben
2+3
If I had a car ( but I don't= present
condition), I would have given you a lift
home ( past result )
Hypothetical conditions in the PRESENT and their
results in the PAST
Jeśli byłabym) w Londynie (TERAZ) to
zobaczyłabym Big Ben np. wczoraj

If my flat were bigger, I would have invited

you to my gaff.

If I were rich, I would have bought that

necklace yesterday.
Mixed If + past + will If she didn't swallow the tablet, she will be This combination shows that if something happened
1st part of 2nd cond + 2nd part of 1st cond. fine in the past then there is a strong likelyhood that
2+1 If he went to the shop, he will buy milk something else will happen in the future
If he revised for the test, he will pass
If she was working in the garden, she will
be tired at the party tonight
To understand the first type of mixed conditional let's revisit the 3rd conditional to compare both.

3rd conditional
If + past perfect + would have + 3rd form

We use it when we imagine a situation in the past that didn't happen and the theoretical outcome of it if we were able to change things.

e.g.
If I had studied harder, I would have become a doctor.
If I hadn't gone to the party, I wouldn't have been late for work.
If she had listened to me, she wouldn't have got her heart broken.

2000 2010 2023

….........................................................................................................................................

study become
hard a doctor

If I had studied hard in 2020 by 2010 I would have become a doctor

both theoretical action and theoretical result are in the past

last
night this morning now(pm)
….........................................................................................................................................

If I hadn't I wouldn't have been

gone to the party late for work

Again both theoretical action and result are in the past

Mixed conditional Type 1

 If + past perfect + would have 3 rd
form
rd st nd
(3 conditional 1 part of it ) + (2 conditional )

Imagine a hypothetical ( unreal ) situation in the past and the hypothetical result of it in the present

If I had studied harder, I would be a doctor now.

If there hadn't been a traffic jam, I would be in the office at the moment.
If I had invested at yesterday's price, I would be filthy rich now.

All these example show actions that didn't happen in the past and the theoretical result in the present.
Mixed Conditional Type 2

If + past simple + would have + 3rd form

(2 conditional first part of it)+ (3rd conditional second part of it)
nd

This type mixes the 2nd conditional with the 3rd conditionl
the 2nd conditional often deals with unreal situations

If I were rich...
If I had a car...
If I wasn't so tall ….

whereas

the 3rd conditional deals with hypothetical results in the past

Real situation: my car broke down and I had to walk home last Thursday
Mixed cond: If I had a car( unreal situation), I would have given you a lift home.

Real: The restaurant I booked for my birthday party let me down last week.
Mixed cond: If my flat were bigger, I would have invited you to my gaff.

Mixed: If my English was better, I would have helped that foreign couple this morning.
Mixed: If I were rich, I would have bought that necklace yesterday.

…............................................................................................................................................
Other combination types

If + past + will (2nd + 1st)

This combination shows that if something happened in the past then there is a strong likelyhood that something else will happen

If she didn't swallow the tablet, she will be fine

If he went to the shop, he will buy milk
If he revised for the test, he will pass
If she was working in the garden, she will be tired at the party tonight

possible confusion
1. It differs from mixed type 1 because type 1 couldn't have happened and this one is speculating if sth happened
2. It differs from 0 conditional because that is generally what happens whereas this is a specific situation.
3. It differs from cond. 1 and 2 because they are specualting about the future and this action has (possibly)already happened.
….........................................................................................................................
If + present simple + would have + 3rd form(1st + 3rd )

Very unlikey to be a context that permits it but perhaps

If she drinks, she would have bought a round last night

this means I don't know if she generally drinks but if she did she is a very generous person so she would have bought a round last night for
sure.
Not sure about a general fact + quite sure about a specific event in the past

….............................................................................................................
3+1

If she had gone to the party, she will be tired today

 we are not sure if she went to the party but it is possible that she went therefore we are sure that she will be tired in the present and future.

1. differs from mixed type 1 because in that case we know she didn't go to the party, this one allows for the possibility that she did go to the
party.

commas

When the if clause is first we use a comma

when the result is first we don't need a comma

I would have called you if he came

If he had come, I would have called you