Third Conditional Sentences
1. Use
Third conditional sentences talk about the past. They are used to describe a situation which is given in the if-clause that didn’t happen, and to imagine the result of this situation.
2. Form
| if clause | main clause |
|---|---|
| Past Perfect | would + have + past participle |
| could + have + past participle | |
| might + have + past participle |
3. Examples
| if clause | main clause |
|---|---|
| If I had studied, | I would have passed the exams. |
| If I had studied, | I could have passed the exams. |
| If I had studied, | I might have passed the exams. |
The if-clause can be at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.
| if clause | main clause |
|---|---|
| If I had studied, | I would have passed the exams. |
| main clause | if clause |
|---|---|
| I would have passed the exams | if I had studied. |
4. Grammar Point
The above examples in the main clauses are known grammatically as Conditional Perfect Simple It is also possible to have the main clause in a continuous tense i.e:
| if clause | main clause |
|---|---|
| If I had passed the exam, | I would have been studying medicine |
This is known grammatically as the Conditional Perfect Continuous