⏳ Master the Third Conditional
2nd Year BAC Sciences Humaines SH
📌 Introduction
The third conditional describes hypothetical situations in the past and their imagined results. It’s used for regrets, criticism, or reflections on past possibilities.
Structure
If + Past Perfect, would have + Past Participle
“If I had studied, I would have passed.”
Uses
- Impossible past situations
- Regrets
- Missed opportunities
- Criticism
Did You Know? “Native speakers use third conditionals 3x more in spoken English than in writing.”
🔍 Form and Examples
Affirmative
“If she had arrived earlier, she would have seen the show.”
Negative
“If they hadn’t missed the bus, they wouldn’t have been late.”
Questions
“What would you have done if you had seen the accident?”
Contracted Forms
“I’d have called if I’d known.”
(I would have / I had)
🎯 Exercise: Form Recognition
Identify the correct third conditional sentences:
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Incorrect
“If I would have known, I would come.”
“If she had study, she would passed.”
Correct
“If I had known, I would have come.”
“If she had studied, she would have passed.”
✏️ Exercise: Error Correction
Correct these third conditional mistakes:
1. “If you would have listened, you would know the answer.”
Correction:
2. “We had arrived earlier, we would have got tickets.”
Correction:
🌍 Real-Life Scenarios
Common Situations
- “If I had checked the weather, I wouldn’t have gone out in the storm.” (Regret)
- “You wouldn’t have failed if you had studied regularly.” (Criticism)
- “What would you have done if you had been in my position?” (Hypothetical)
💬 Exercise: Scenario Response
Complete these third conditional sentences for each scenario:
1. “You missed an important exam because you overslept.”
“If I an alarm, I it.”
2. “Your friend failed because they didn’t study.”
“They if they .”
🔄 Mixed Conditionals
Sometimes we mix third and second conditionals when a past action affects the present:
“If I had studied medicine (past), I would be a doctor now (present).”
Compare with standard third conditional:
“If I had studied medicine, I would have become a doctor.” (all in past)
🧩 Exercise: Mixed Practice
Choose the correct form for each sentence:
1. “If you ___ (tell) me about the problem, I ___ (help) you.”
2. “If she ___ (take) that job, she ___ (be) in Paris now.”
📝 Writing Practice
✍️ Exercise: Regret Letter
Write 5 sentences about past regrets using the third conditional. Imagine you’re writing to your past self:
