Third Conditional in English Grammar l with Subtitles Learn Conditionals

Let's talk about our third conditional. So, this  one is a bit different. This refers to, it's  

all in the past, this third conditional is all  happening in the past. It refers to an impossible  

condition in the past and its probable result  in the past. So actually, we often use the third  

conditional to talk about things we regret. If  I had done this, this would have been different.  

So, third conditional, all talking about the  past, an impossible condition in the past.  

These sentences are truly hypothetical and  unreal because we can't change the past right.  

In the second conditional I’d say, “Oh if I  won the lottery, I would…” That's hypothetical,  

but maybe one day I could win the lottery.  Third conditional is totally unreal because  

it's all about the past and we cannot change the  past. So, the time is the past, and the situation  

is hypothetical. So, let's take a look at  what this means. So, here we're using past  

perfect. If past perfect and then a perfect  conditional or perfect continuous conditional.  

So, what does that look like? If this thing had  happened, that thing would have happened. So, all  

imagining right. All hypothetical, didn't happen,  wish it did. For example, if it had rained,  

you would have gotten wet. Today's a sunny  day, but if it had rained in the past,  

you would have gotten wet. In the past right.  So, these impossible things that would have,  

could have happened in the past. Next one, if you  had worked harder, you would have passed the test.  

So, here we see a commonly used way that the  third conditional is used to talk about regret.  

If you had worked harder, you would have passed  the test. If this past condition were true,  

this other thing also would have been true, but  you didn't, you didn't work hard, you didn't  

pass the test. If you had worked harder, you  would have passed the test. Notice here, yes,  

we're using perfect tense which means we're using  things like had happened would have happened.  

Have gotten, have passed, we're  using our past participles here.  

Alright, let's look at some more examples and  then we'll take some questions. So, here we go,  

third conditional examples: If I had worked  harder, I would have gotten a promotion.  

So, here a different form of that passing the  test question. If I had worked harder, I would  

have gotten a promotion. So, this means I didn't  get a promotion because I didn't work hard enough.  

So, remember third conditional, totally  hypothetical, all in the past. If I had  

worked harder in the past, I would  have gotten a promotion in the past. 

If I had known you were coming,  I would have baked a cake.  

Maybe it's my friend's birthday and they come  to my house unexpectedly and I say, oh if I had  

known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.  So, I can't change this right? This is totally  

hypothetical. I can't go back in time and  bake a cake, but I can tell my friend:  

If I had known you were coming, in the past,  I would have baked a cake, in the past.  

And here again regret. Oh, I wish I would  have known, I wish I could have done that.  

And here, oh so sad, I would have been happy,  if you had called me on my birthday. So,  

in this form, just like in our other forms, we  can take our “if” clause and our main clause and  

switch them. So, I could say: if you had called  me on my birthday, I would have been happy.  

Or, I would have been happy, if you had called  me on my birthday. Again, all in the past, right?  

Can't change it all in the past and just thinking  what could have, would have happened. Last one,  

if you had told me you were free, I wouldn't have  made other plans. So, this is something I say  

to my husband very often. Sometimes he wants to  do things together, but I’ve made other plans. So,  

I say: if you had told me you were free and didn't  have plans, I wouldn't have made other plans. So  

again, what could have been different in the  past? So what about contractions? So, if we look  

at a sentence, our first sentence here: if I had  worked harder, I would have gotten a promotion.  

So, I had, and I would both, they both have the  same contraction: I’d. So, it can be a little  

confusing to read. So that with contractions if  I’d worked harder, I’d have gotten a promotion.  

One key trick here to know does this mean would  or had let's take a look at this first part:  

if I’d worked harder, so what sounds more  correct? If I had worked harder or if I would  

worked harder? It would be if I had, right.  When we have an ed this is a past participle,  

then it must be had. If I had worked. If I  had known. If you had told me. And here we see  

our past participles, right. Same had called, had  known. So, if the next word is a past participle,  

we know it means have or had. In our second part,  I’d have gotten a promotion. So, what makes more  

sense? I would have gotten a promotion, or I had  have gotten a promotion. Maybe I would have, right  

and often in these conditionals we use the phrase  I would have. So, I’d have means, I would have.  

Here's another example: if I’d known you  were coming, I’d have baked a cake. Again,  

we know this first part with our if is had because  we have our past participle known. If I had known,  

if I’d known, I’d have baked a cake.  There again I would have baked a cake,  

but actually more often we say: I would  have. So, we don't necessarily say,  

if we have the phrase I would have. We could  say, I’d have, but often we say, I would have.  

So, it's a little easier there. So, let's  review and then we'll take some questions.  

So, zero conditional is what we use for general  facts and truths. If this thing happens, that  

thing happens. If you heat water to 100 degrees  Celsius, it boils. Simple truths, simple facts.  

First conditional is about a real possible  condition and a possible or probable  

result. If this thing happens, that thing  will happen. For example, if I exercise,  

I will go out to eat with my friends  later. If I do this, then that will happen.  

Second conditional is unlikely  or hypothetical. For example,  

if this thing happened, that thing would happen.  And our last one, our third conditional is truly  

not possible, all happens in the past. If  this thing had happened, that thing would  

have happened. If you had told me you were  coming over, I would have made dinner. So,  

this is a useful chart for remembering and I hope  that you guys learned a lot in this lesson today.