IELTS Grammar Topics

3rd Conditionals: The Unreal Past

We can use the 3rd conditional to talk about things that didn’t really happen. This is good when you want to imagine how life could have been different if we had made different choices or things had happened in a different way.

The 3rd conditional structure is the following:

If + past perfect, would have + past participle (V3)

Example: I would have won the race if I hadn’t hurt my ankle

Example: He would have become a doctor, if he had done better in the science exams at school

Example: She would have taken the job, if they had offered her a higher salary

Example: It would have been good to train as a programmer

Example: If I hadn’t met my friend John, I would never have discovered my passion for snowboarding.

Example: If he hadn’t got the job in Canada, he would have stayed in the UK.

Often we do not need to use the full 3rd conditional using an if clause. When the if clause is implicitly understood by the speaker and listener we can just give the result using would have + past participle. Here are some examples:

Example: I would have taken the job but the salary wasn’t high enough. (I would have taken the job if the company had offered me a higher salary)

Example:  Why did you leave the company? I would have stayed. (If I had had your job, I would have stayed at the company).

3rd conditionals can be useful in all parts of IELTS but they tend to be used more when telling a story or talking about personal experience (so IELTS general writing task 1 or Speaking Parts 1 & 2).

Mixed Conditionals: Mixing the Unreal Present and Past

It’s quite common to imagine how a different choice or a change in your history could impact your present situation. In this case we use a mix of 3rd and 2nd conditionals. The 3rd conditional is used with “if” to describe the unreal past choice/ situation and the 2nd conditional is used to describe the unreal result in the present.

Example: If I hadn’t bought an expensive car, I would be more rich now.

Example: I would be more happy now, if I had moved to Australia when I was a teenager.

Example: If I had gone to university, I would be in a higher position in the company by now.

Occasionally, the 2nd conditional is used with “if” to describe an unreal general situation (e.g. If I were taller), and the 3rd conditional is used to describe an unreal situation in the past (e.g.  would have become a basketball player).

Example: If I were more intelligent, I would have studied physics at university

Example: If my family were rich, I would have studied in America.

Exercise 1:

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate verb form to complete the sentences using the third conditional. Use the words in parentheses to guide you.

1. If I ________________ (study) harder, I ________________ (pass) the exam.

2. If she ________________ (tell) me about the party, I ________________ (attend) it.

3. They  ________________ (not miss) the train, if they ________________ (arrive) on time.

4. If we ________________ (book) our tickets earlier, we ________________ (get) better seats.

5. If he ________________ (listen) to the instructions, he ________________ (not make) such a mistake.

6. I ________________ (assist) you, if you ________________ (ask) for help.

7. If she ________________ (take) the job offer, she ________________ (earn) more money.

8. If they ________________ (see) the sign, they ________________ (not get) lost.

9. We ________________ (stay) indoors, if it ________________ (rain). 

10. If he ________________ (win) the lottery, he ________________ (buy) a big house.

Exercise 2:

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate verb form to complete these mixed conditional sentences. Use the words in parentheses to guide you.

1. If he ________________ (not take) the job, he  ________________ (be) unhappy now.

2. If she ________________ (stay) in Germany, she ________________ (earn) more money now.

3. He ________________ (not be) in prison, if he ________________ (not commit) a crime.

4. If they ________________ (be) a happy couple, they ________________ (not get) divorced.

5. If she ________________ (learn) to drive when she was younger, she ________________ (not need) to use taxis all the time now.

6. If I ________________ (be) a bad guy, I ________________ (steal) the money yesterday.

7. You ________________ (not have) a cold, if you ________________ (wear) a coat.

8. He ________________ (not miss) the flight, if he ________________ (be) more responsible.

Exercise 3:

What if? Complete the sentences using the verbs in brackets.

1. If American forces ________________ (defeat) the British, the USA  ________________  (remain) a British colony. 

2. If the South ________________  (win) the American Civil War, slavery ________________ (continue) in the USA for many more years. 

3. If the Royal Air Force ________________ (overcome) the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain, Germany ________________ (invade) Britain. 

4. If Julius Caesar ________________ (be) born, Rome ________________ (remain) a republic.

5. If William the Conqueror ________________ (lose) the Battle of Hastings in 1066, French ________________ (not influence) the English language so greatly.

6. If Germany ________________ (be) victorious in World War 1, the Nazi’s ________________  (not take control) of Germany.

Discussion Questions 1:

Tell me about the decisions you could have made differently and what would have been the result.  You can use 3rd conditionals or mixed conditionals.

 1. I wouldn’t have met .......................... if ...

2. I would’ve studied .......................... if ...

3. I wouldn’t have gone to  .......................... if ...

4. I would have more money now if....

5. I’d feel more energetic now if ....

6. I’d be really happy now if.....

7. I’d be really unhappy now if....

8. If I hadn’t joined my company,…

9. If I hadn’t gone to…

Discussion Questions 2:

Think about how your life would have been different. Use the 3rd conditional or a mixed conditional.

1. If I hadn’t decided to learn English...

2. If I had started learning English at a younger age...

3. If I had been born in the 19th Century....

4. If I’d been born in the USA,...

5. If I had been born a member of the opposite sex,...

Discussion Questions 3: 

What if? Think about how things would have been different (in the past) or would be different (now) if history had been different.

1. What if the internet hadn’t been invented?

2. What if electric cars had become popular instead of petrol cars in the early 20th century?

3. What if a nuclear war had started during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962?

4. What if the Nazi’s had won WWII?

5. What if an asteroid hadn’t hit Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs?