Third conditionals (sometimes called Type 3 conditionals) are sentences where the speaker is thinking about the past and how it could have been different.
So, normally a 3rd conditional sentence expresses some kind of regret.
This grammar construction is sometimes known as a 'true hypothetical' and that is a good description because we are always talking about somehow changing the past, but as no-one has invented a time machine, it is impossible to go back and change the past, so all 3rd conditional sentences are therefore 100% hypothetical
Third Conditional Formula and Example:
If something had happened = this other thing would have been the result
If + (had + past participle) = would have + past participle
If he had known she was coming home early, he would have made her a nice meal
The 2 parts of the sentence (the clauses) can be switched around/reversed with no difference in meaning. For example
He would have made her a nice meal if he had known she was coming home early.
Good luck with this tough third conditional quiz today!
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