• 3-minute read
• 23rd December 2022

An Introduction to the Third Conditional

Conditional statements are used to imagine things that might happen or could have happened. There are four types of conditionals in English.

The third conditional is used to discuss actions and situations in the past. By using the third conditional, we imagine or hypothesize another result of a past action or situation.

How to Make a Third Conditional Statement

If + subject + had + past perfect […] subject + would have + past participle

Let’s look at some examples:

(Reality: I did not go to the party because you didn’t tell me about it.)

(Reality: I got a bad grade because I didn’t study for the exam.)

(Reality: We were on time for class because we did not get coffee earlier.)

(Reality: They didn’t go to the concert, so I didn’t go either.)

How to Make a Negative Form of a Third Conditional Statement

If + subject + had + past perfect […] subject + would not have + past participle

Or

If + subject + had + not […] subject + would have + past participle

Let’s look at some examples:

(Reality: They left me at home by myself, so I was lonely.)

(Reality: I went to an event because I didn’t know it would start raining.)

(Reality: You alerted me to the car coming, so I didn’t get hit by it.)

(Reality: They wore their coats, so they were not cold.)

How to Invert Third Conditional Statements

Finally, we can flip or invert these structures to create new sentences with the same meaning.

Subject + would have + past participle […] if + subject + had + past perfect

Inverted negative forms:

Subject + would not have + past participle […] if + subject + had + past perfect

Subject + would have + past participle […] if + subject + had + not + past perfect

Let’s look at some examples:

Note on using contractions:

As you may have noticed, ‘d can mean “had” or “would.” If you are unsure if ‘d means “would” or “had,” just remember:

●  When ‘d is followed by a past participle (I’d gone), then ‘d = had.

●  When ‘d is followed by a verb base or root form (I’d have), then ‘d = would.

Contractions are a great way to improve your fluency while speaking. However, be mindful that contractions should not be used in formal or academic writing.

Takeaway

The third conditional is used to talk about a past event or situation and imagine a different outcome. If you’re struggling to use the third conditional or would like an expert to give personalized feedback on your writing, we’ll proofread your first 500 words for free!