CONDITIONAL
TYPE 3
Form
if + Past Perfect, main clause with Conditional II
Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.
The
main clause can also be at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, don't
use a comma.
Example: I would have sent her an invitation if I had found her address.
Example: If I hadn’t studied, I wouldn’t have passed my exams.
Form
if
clause |
main
clause |
Past Perfect |
would + have + past participle or could + have + past participle or might + have + past participle |
Examples
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 the sentence.
If I had studied, |
I would
have passed the
exams. |
I would
have passed the exams |
if I had studied. |
Use
Conditional
Sentences Type III refers to situations in the past. An action could have
happened in the past if a certain condition had been fulfilled. Things were
different then, however. We just imagine, what would have happened if the
situation had been fulfilled.
Example: If I had
found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.
Sometime in the past, I wanted to send an invitation
to a friend. I didn't find her address, however. So in the end I didn't send
her an invitation.
Example: If John had
had the money, he would have bought a Ferrari.
I knew John very well and I know that he never had
much money, but he loved Ferraris. He would have loved to own a Ferrari, but he
never had the money to buy one.