It isimpossiblethat the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past.

Form: if + Past Perfect, Conditional II (= would + have + Past Participle)

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.

Main clause and / or if clause might be negative.

Example: If I hadn’t studied, I wouldn’t have passed my exams.

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.

Check yourself!

Complete the Conditional Sentences (Type III) by putting the verbs into the correct form. Use conditional II with would in the main clause.

1. If you (study) for the test, you (pass) it.

2. If you (ask) me, I (help) you.

3. If we (go) to the cinema, we (see) my friend Jacob.

4. If you (speak) English, she (understand) .

5. If they (listen) to me, we (be) home earlier.

6. I (write) you a postcard if I (have) your address.

7. If I (not / break) my leg, I (take part) in the contest.

8. If it (not/ start) to rain, we (walk) to the museum.

9. We (swim) in the sea if there (not / be) so many sharks there.

10. If she (take) the bus, she (not / arrive) on time.

Writing Activity

Exercise 1. Put the verbs in the brackets into the necessary form of Conditional Sentences:

1. Tom: I woke up to find the room full of smoke; but I knew exactly what to do.
Ann: If I (wake) up to find the room full of smoke I (have) no idea what to do.

2. Ann: I couldn't live without Tom. If he (go) off with another girl I (die). But I have complete confidence in Tom.

3. Husband: But I'm not going on a diet. Why should I go on a diet?
Wife: If you (go) on a diet you (lose) weight.

4. If someone (say), 'I’ll give you £500 to go into court and swear that this statement is true,' what you (do)?

5. If we (work) all night we (finish) in time; but we have no intention of working all night.

6. You must never blow out a gaslight. Do you know what (happen) if you (blow) out a gaslight?

7. A: If I (see) a tiger walking across Hyde Park I (climb) a tree.
B: That (not be) any use. The tiger (climb) after you.

8. If I (come) across two men fighting with knives I (call) the police.

9. Ann: All your clothes are years out of date. Why don't you throw them away?
Mary: Don't be ridiculous! If I (throw) my clothes away I (have) to ask my husband for £1,000 to buy new ones.
Ann: If you (ask) him for £1,000 what he (say)?
Mary: He (be) too horrified to speak at first. But when he'd recovered from the shock, he probably (start) talking about a divorce.

10. If someone (ring) my doorbell at 3 a.m. I (be) very unwilling to open the door.

11. If I (see) a python in Piccadilly I (assume) it had escaped from a circus.

12. Tom: The plane was on fire so we bailed out.
Ann: I don't think I (have) the nerve to do that even if the plane (be) on fire.

13. We train the children to file out of the classroom quietly, because if a whole class (rush) at the door someone (get) hurt.

14. A: Why don't you buy a season ticket?
B: Because I lose everything. If I (buy) a season ticket I (lose) it.

15. Jack: They get £150 a week.
Tom: They can't get £150 a week. If they (do) they (not be) striking for £120.

Exercise 2. Read and translate the following sentences:

1. I will be happy if I find a job like yours.
2. I would be happy if I found a job like yours.
3. I would be happy if I could find a job like yours.
4. I would've been happy if I had found a job like yours.
5. I would be happy if I had found a job like yours (mixed type).
6. I will enjoy myself if you don't spoil the fun.
7. I would enjoy myself if you didn't spoil the fun.
8. I would've enjoyed myself if you hadn't spoiled the fun.
9. I could've enjoyed myself if you hadn't spoiled the fun.
10. It will be a pity if he doesn't come.
11. It would be a pity if he didn't come.
12. It would've been a pity if he hadn't come.
13. If there had been more snow, we would've gone skiing.
14. If I hadn't drunk so much last night, I wouldn't have a headache now.
15. If the bus doesn't come in one minute, we'll be late.
16. If you should see him, tell him I'm not angry.
17. If he hadn't seen you, would you've told the truth anyway?
18. If you had called me, I needn't have stood in the rain for 3 hours.
19. I'll do the washing up if you walk the dog.
20. If I were you, I'd rather learn German.
21. If I had a figure like yours, I would dress like a bird of paradise.

Exercise 3. Paraphrase the following sentences, using Conditionals of mixed type:

Pattern:She didn’t study hard. She won’t pass the exams.
If she had studied hard she would pass the exams

1. You didn’t wake me up. Now I’m late for my appointment.
2. She isn’t well-qualified. She didn’t get the job.
3 We didn’t go to the restaurant. We don’t like fast food.
4. She didn’t bring her umbrella. Now, she’s getting wet.
5. I don’t know them very well, so I didn’t go to the party.
6. He isn’t at the lecture because he wasn’t told about it.
7. They didn’t take a map with them. They’re lost now.
8. The driver isn’t careful. He crashed his car into a wall.
9. I didn’t buy tickets. We can’t go to the theatre tonight.
10. He didn’t reserve a table. He has to wait for an hour.
11. Sue forgot to go to the bank. Now she can’t go shopping.
12. They missed the flight. They won’t arrive until tomorrow.

Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1087