IELTS The THIRD Conditional

The Third Conditional

We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then 'would have' and the past participle in the second part of the sentence:

• if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle

It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this situation.

• If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass)
• If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I did feel sick).
• If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
• She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
• She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
• He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine

Third Conditionals

Put in the correct third conditional verb form:

1. If you ______________ (not / be) late, we ______________ (not / miss) the

bus.

2. If she ______________ (study), she ______________ (pass) the exam.

3. If we ______________ (arrive) earlier, we ______________ (see) John.

4. If they ______________ (go) to bed early, they ______________ (not / wake)

up late.

5. If he ______________ (become) a musician, he ______________ (record) a

CD.

6. If she ______________ (go) to art school, she ______________ (become) a

painter.

7. If I ______________ (be) born in a different country, I ______________

(learn) to speak a different language.

8. If she ______________ (go) to university, she ______________ (study)

French.

9. If we ______________ (not / go) to the party, we ______________ (not /

meet) them.

10. If he ______________ (take) the job, he ______________ (not / go) travelling. © 2009 www.perfect-english-grammar.com

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11. He ______________ (be) happier if he ______________ (stay) at home.

12. She ______________ (pass) the exam if she ______________ (study) harder.

13. We ______________ (not / get) married if we ______________ (not / go) to

the same university.

14. They ______________ (be) late if they ______________ (not / take) a taxi.

15. She ______________ (not / meet) him if she ______________ (not / come) to

London.

16. He ______________ (take) a taxi if he ______________ (have) enough

money.

17. I ______________ (call) you if I ______________ (not / forget) my phone.

18. We ______________ (come) if we ______________ (be) invited.

19. She ______________ (not / do) it if she ______________ (know) you were ill.

20. He ______________ (be) on time if he ______________ (leave) earlier.