the conditional sentences

Look at these sentences from the reading:

 If it hadn’t been for my parents, I would have been living in the street.

 My life would have been so different if I hadn’t become an alcoholic.

Identify and underline the verb forms in the sentences. Look at this sentence again:

If it hadn’t been for my parents, I would have been living in the street. Which of these statements is true?

 I was living in the street because of my parents

 I wasn’t living in the street because of my parents We make the third conditional using the following structure:

If + past perfect, would/could/should/might + have + past participle.

We use the third conditional to imagine situations in the past which are the opposite of what actually happened. We often use it to express regret about a past situation. The if-clause expressed the imaginary (‘unreal’) situation and the clause with the modal verb + have + past participle expressed the imaginary result.

 If I had won the lottery, I would have bought a big house. (Did I win the lottery? Did I buy a big house? How do I feel about it?)

 If I had studied. I would have passed my

exams. (Did I study? Did I pass my exams? How do I feel about it?)

 If I hadn’t got the job, I couldn’t have gone on an expensive holiday. (Did I get the job? Did I go on an expensive holiday?) We use the third conditional in questions to speculate about the possible result of situations in the past which did not happen.

 What would you have done if the teacher had caught you cheating? (The teacher didn’t catch you cheating.)

 How would you have felt if your parents had found out you went to that party? (Your parents didn’t find out)

Practice II Practice

Make third conditional sentences.

Put the verbs in the correct form to complete these third conditional sentences:

Example: I went to Tenerife. I met my fiancée there. If I hadn’t gone to Tenerife, I wouldn’t have met my fiancée.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

If I __________ (fail) my exams, my parents _______________ (kill) me! If Sue __________ (leave), I _______________ (be) very sad. Her bag _______________ (not/steal) if she __________ (not/leave) it on the bus. If John __________ (drive) more carefully, he _______________ (avoid) the accident. If my best friend __________ (kiss) my boyfriend, I ____________________ (never/speak) to her again! I _______________ (not/move) to a different country if I __________ (not/meet) Daniel. I _______________ (study) harder if the subjects __________ (be) more interesting! John _______________ (be) devastated if he __________ (find out) Lucy’s secret. If I __________ (have) more time, I _______________ (take up) canoeing. If we __________ (not/be) friends, I _______________ (not/know) what to do. I _______________ (go) shopping with you if I __________ (have) more money. If we __________ (own) a car, we _______________ (not/have) to take the bus.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

I didn’t eat the fish. I was allergic to it.

________________________________ I didn’t speak Japanese. I wouldn’t visit Japan.

________________________________ I had an exam. I couldn’t go out with my friends.

________________________________

I was afraid of heights. I wouldn’t do the bungee jump.

________________________________ I didn’t pass my exams. I didn’t study.

________________________________ I wasn’t good at map-reading. I got lost.

________________________________ I told a lie. I got in trouble.

________________________________ I worked hard. I liked my job.

________________________________ I committed a crime. I went to prison.

________________________________ I studied law. I wanted to be a lawyer.

________________________________

Key

6.

Reading

7.

1 2 3 4 5

8.

D

A B D A D B

9. 10.

J

G

E

H

A

F

I

C

Conditionals III If it hadn’t been (past perfect) for my parents, I would have been (would + have + past participle) living in the street. My life would have been (would + have + past participle) so different if I hadn’t become (past perfect) an alcoholic. Which of these statements is true? I wasn’t living in the street because of my parents Practice 1. If I had failed my exams, my parents would have killed me! 2. If Sue had left, I would have been very sad. 3. Her bag wouldn’t have been stolen if she hadn’t left it on the bus. 4. If John had driven/had been driving more carefully, he would have avoided the accident. 5. If my best friend had kissed my boyfriend, I would never have spoken to her again!

11. 12.

I wouldn’t have moved to a different country if I hadn’t met Daniel. I would have studied harder if the subjects had been more interesting! John would have been devastated if he had found out Lucy’s secret. If I had had more time, I would have taken up canoeing. If we hadn’t been friends, I wouldn’t have known what to do. I would have gone shopping with you if I had had more money. If we had owned a car, we wouldn’t have had to take the bus.

Practice II 1. I would have eaten the fish if I hadn’t been allergic to it. 2. If I had spoken Japanese, I would have visited Japan3. If I hadn’t had an exam. I could have gone out with my friends. 4. If I hadn’t been afraid of heights, I would have done the bungee jump. 5. I would have passed my exams if I had studied. 6. If I had been good at map-reading, I wouldn’t have got lost. 7. If I hadn’t told a lie. I wouldn’t have got in trouble. 8. I wouldn’t have worked hard if I hadn’t liked my job. 9. If I hadn’t committed a crime. I wouldn’t have gone to prison. 10. I wouldn’t have studied law if I hadn’t wanted to be a lawyer.