Third Conditional

The past is past and unfortunately it cannot be changed. All we can do is imagining what could have happened if things had gone differently.

To describe unreal situations in the past we use the third conditional.

[But nobody told me this was a birthday party so I didn’t buy you a birthday present.]

[Now the housing market has collapsed and your house is hardly worth anything.]

[But John did not reserve a table and now we are out in the pouring rain hoping to find another place where to eat.]

Formation

The third conditional is formed by an if clause and a main clause. The order of these two elements can be inverted.

if clause + main clause

main clause + if clause

Main Clause

The main clause in a third conditional sentence can contain any of the modal verbs would, could or might according to the meaning we wish to convey.

[But I didn’t leave till late so I didn't.]

[But I didn’t leave till late so Iit was not possible for me to give you a lift.]

[But I'm not sure. Perhaps you had already got a lift from someone else.]

If Clause

The if clause can be implied rather than spoken.