Conditionals type 3

Once an Italian singer as little as a finger

went to sing a song to the sea in a boat.

But if the boat had been stronger,

his song would have been longer.

The third type of conditionals is used to express unreal situations in the past. In the if-clause the Past Subjunctive II is used (had been stronger); in the main clause the Past Conditional mood is used (would have been longer).

Past Subjunctive II is used to express past unreal actions. It coincides in form with the past perfect or past perfect continuous indicative. had done/ had been doing

The Past Conditional mood is used to express an action in the past which is unreal because it depends on unreal condition. It is formed with auxiliary verbs ‘should’ for the first person or ‘would’ for all persons & the perfect infinitive.

should/ would + have done/ have been doing

Conditionals Type 3
adverbial clause of condition			main (result) clause
	Subjunctive II			the Conditional mood
If smb.	had been ... had done ... had been doing had been done ...	,	smb.	would should could might	have been ... have done ... have been doing have been done
If the boat had been stronger , his song would have been longer.

Ex. 1 Rephrase the sentences referring them to the past as in the example

a) In your place I wouldn’t go to bed late. – ... I wouldn’t have gone to ...

1. In your place I would apply for the job.

2. In his place I wouldn’t lie to the police. That is stupid of him.

3. You are late. In your place I would take a taxi.

4. You look exhausted. In your place I would take a holiday.

5. I think he’s right. In your place I would follow his advice.

b) If I had some money, I would buy a car. –

If I had had some money, I would have bought a car.

1. If I were rich, I would go travelling.

2. We would stay at home if it rained.

3. If I didn't apologize, I would feel guilty.

4. If Dad were there, he would know what to do.

5. I wouldn't tell you even if I knew.

6. Even if she survived, she would never fully recover.

7. If they didn’t built the power plant here, it would be better.

8. Steve would be attacked if I were not here.

Type I Type II Type III

• I’m going to move to Kyiv. If I live in Kyiv, I will have more opportunities to find a good job. (Type I)

• You are right. If I lived in Kyiv, I would have a good job, I’m sure. But I can’t afford to rent a flat in Kyiv. (Type II)

• It’s a pity my parents didn’t move to Kyiv when I went to school. If I had lived in Kyiv then, I would have had an opportunity to get a better education. (Type III)

Ex. 2 Transform conditionals of Type I into Type II and Type III.

1. If I attend the lecture tomorrow, I will learn more.

2. If I have a computer, it will be easier to study.

3. I will improve my English if I do my lab works in time.

4. I will pass my exams easily if I attend all the classes this year.

5. If I study hard this year, I will have better results.

Ex. 3 The British Careers Officer is giving you a lecture on advantages and disadvantages of a part-time job for teenagers. Say that it would have been true for yourself if you had worked when you were a teenager . E.g.: If pupils work, they won't have a carefree childhood. –

If I had worked, I wouldn’t have had a carefree childhood.

1. If pupils are tired, they won't be able to concentrate at school.

2. If teenagers work, they won't have time to do their homework.

3. Their school results will suffer if they have a part-time job.

4. Pupils won't have time to relax or do sport if they work.

5. If pupils have a part-time job, they won't have enough time to pursue their hobbies.

6. On the other hand, they will be able to earn some extra pocket money if they have a part-time job.

7. If teenagers work, they will get experience of workplace & society.

8. If teenagers learn to dispose money, they will gain a sense of independence and self-respect.

Ex. 2 a) Use the Past Conditional mood or Past Subjunctive II of the verbs in brackets.

1. If I had known that you were in hospital, I .............,,... (visit) you.

2. If you ..,,.. (arrive) ten minutes earlier, you would have got a seat.

3. I shouldn't have believed it if I ..... (not see) it with my own eyes.

4. I ..................... (offer) to help him if I had realized that he was ill.

5. If he had slipped, he ......................................... (fall) 500 metres.

6. If I ................................ (had) a map, I would have been all right.

7. If I ..... (know), that you were coming, I would have baked a cake.

8. If you had left that wasp alone, it .......................... (not sting) you.

9. If I had realized that the traffic lights were red, I ................ (stop).

10. If I (realize), what a bad driver you were, I wouldn't have come with you

11. If you had told me, that he never paid his debts, I ...........,........ (not lend) him the money.

12. If you ...... (not sneeze), he wouldn't have known that we were there.

13. If she had paid the fine, she ...................... (not be sent) to prison.

14. I got lost. If I ................ (had) a map, I would have been all right.

15. If I had known, that you were short of money I ...... (lend) you some.

b) Use the Past Conditional mood of the verbs in brackets in the main clause and Past Subjunctive II in the ‘if-clause’

1. If you .... (put) some mustard in the sandwiches, they ... (taste) better.

2. The hens ............ (not get) into the house if you .... (shut) the door.

3. If he (know) that the river was dangerous, he (not/try) to swim across it

4. If you ......... (speak) more slowly, he ...... (might/understand) you.

5. If he ........ (know) the whole story, he .................. (not be) so angry.

6. I ................ (not/eat) it if I ......... (know) that there was ginger in it.

7. If I ......................... (try) again, I think that I ................ (succeed).

8. You ........ (not get) into trouble if you ........ (obey) my instructions.

9. If I (be) in a hurry, I (not put) sugar into the sauce instead of salt.

10. If you (look) at the engine for a moment, you(see) what was missing.

11. Rome ....... (be captured) by her enemies if the geese .... (not/cackle).

12. He ................. (be arrested) if he .......... (try) to leave the country.

13. I .............. (take) a taxi if I .... (realize) that it was such a long way.

14. You ....... (see) my garden at its best if you ........(be) here last week.

15. He didn't tell me that he was a vegetarian till halfway through the meal. If he .... (tell) me earlier, I ..... (cook) him smth. more suitable.

16. It's lucky he had his torch with him. If he ............. (not have) it, he ............................ (fall) down the cellar steps.

17. The job is much worse than I expected. If I .................. (realise) how awful it was going to be, I ..................................... (not accept) it.

Ex. 5 a) Complete this part of e-mail. Use the Past Conditional mood or Past Subjunctive II of the verbs in brackets.

Dear Ricardo,

All’s well that ends well, as Shakespeare said. Even though a lot of bad things happened to me, my year here in the United States has actually been pretty good. First, and most important, I met Suzie. It's a good thing, because if I …… (meet/not) Suzie, I …… (suffer) over Lisa for a really long time. Suzie has taken over my life, and everything is better since I met her, including the food. Yes, Suzie is a wonderful cook. If I … (know) Suzie earlier, I …… (not / have to eat) all those terrible meals at the beginning of the semester. If I … (know) Suzie earlier, I …...… (not/be) so lonesome and homesick then, and I …………………. (never / suffer) over Lisa like a stupid, lovesick puppy the way that I did.

b) Tell your partner about good events in your life. Use conditionals to explain why they were good.

You can omit ‘if’ in conditionals type 3 and start the sentences with auxiliary verb ‘had’: If I had known you were also coming, I would have picked you up. – Had I known you were also coming, I would have picked you up.

Ex. 6 Omit ‘if’ and paraphrase the sentences if possible.

1. If you had come earlier, you would have met my brother.

2. If the horse hadn’t fallen at the last fence, it would have won.

3. If I had a car, I would drive to work.

4. If you had asked me, I would have lent you the money.

5. If I had a choice, do you think I would be here?

6. If I had known that in summer planes skimmed the roof of the house every five minutes, I wouldn’t have bought it.

7. If he had talked to her sooner, they would have made it up.

Ex. 7 Say it in English using complex sentences with adverbial clauses of condition & concession Type III.

1. Я б ніколи не повірила, що це можливо, якби не побачила своїми очима. 2. Якби ти був там, цього б не трапилось. 3. Він не потрапив би у аварію, якби їхав обережніше. 4. Якби ти не залишив рибу на столі, кіт не з’їв би її. 5. Я б не сказала їй нічого, як би мені не увірвався терпець. 6. Прийшов би він раніше, він би був здивований побачити вас тут. 7. Якби ти пішов зі мною на вечірку, мені не було б там сумно. 8. Знала б я, що з цього вийде, я б ніколи не втрутилась у цю справу. 9. Якби хтось попередив мене, що я роблю помилку, цього могло б не статись.10. Навіть якби у мене тоді була можливість, я б не поїхала зі своєї країни. 11. Я б не змогла розпочати свій бізнес, якби мене не підтримала моя сім’я. 12. Знала б я, що тобі потрібні ті марки, я б не викинула листа. 13. Було б краще, якби ти підписав угоду. (agreement) 14. Краще б ти залишився вдома. 15. Я зміг би тебе попередити, якби знав, де ти є. 16. Навіть якби я знав, де ти є, я б не зміг тобі допомогти.

Watch out! Oblique mood show that the actions are contrary to reality, so when expressing the same idea, you switch from reality to unreality, you also switch from affirmative forms to negative and vice versa. (condition) (result) (condition) (result) E.g.: I was not rich. I couldn’t buy a car. I had friends. I was happy. If I had been rich, I could have bought it. If I hadn’t had friends, I wouldn’t have been happy.
Infinitive	be		drive
Indicative	was	wasn’t	drove	didn’t drive
Past SubjunctiveII	hadn’t been	had been	hadn’t driven	had driven
Past Conditional	wouldn’t have been	would have been	wouldn’t have driven	would have driven

Ex. 8 Read the conditionals. What are the actual situations they relate to? E.g.: If she had studied harder, she would have passed the test. –

She didn’t study hard, that’s why she didn’t pass the test.

1. If the cake hadn’t been so delicious, I wouldn’t have eaten two pieces of it.

2. John wouldn’t have missed the bus if he hadn’t got up late.

3. If air-conditioning hadn’t been developed, places like Florida would not have become popular locations to live.

4. If the Americans hadn’t gained their independence from England in 1783, America would have remained a British colony.

5. If he hadn’t been acting so foolishly, he wouldn’t have been punished.

6. They might have found a better hotel if they had driven a few more kilometers.

7. She wouldn’t have died if the doctor had been called earlier.

8. If we had travelled together, we would have saved money.

Ex. 10 Comment on the following actual situations with conditionals type III.

1. We got a lift, so we reached the station in time.

2. We didn't visit the museum because we didn't have time.

3. They were driving quickly. That's why the accident was so terrible.

4. It was raining. That's the only reason I didn't take the children to the beach.

5. He wasn't looking where he was going and he was run over.

6. She didn't speak to him, possibly because she was so shy.

7. I only came up the stairs because the lift wasn't working.

8. We didn't listen carefully; that's why we made this mistake.

9. You washed it in boiling water; that's why it shrank.

10. His own men deserted him; that's the only reason why he failed.

11. Tom's uncle was on the Board. That's the only reason he got the job.

12. I didn't know he was so quarrelsome. I'm sorry that I invited him.

13. I didn't like country life, perhaps because I wasn't brought up in the country.

Ex. 9 Use the prompts to make Conditionals Type 3.

1. It was a dull game so I left before the end; (I/ wait another five minutes/ I/ see Chelsea scoring a really exciting goal).

2. The paraffin heater was perfectly safe. (there/ not be a fire/ the children/ not knock it over).

3. It's a pity he never patented his invention. (he/ patent it/ he/ make a lot of money).

4. The fog came down suddenly and I suppose they didn't know which way to turn; (they/ have a map and compass/ they/not be drowned).

5. He asked his parents for a loan but he didn't say what he wanted the money for, so they refused. I think (he/ tell them that he wanted to open a restaurant/ they/agree).

6. The club secretary is useless. (We/ not know about this meeting/ the chairman/ not tell us).

7. The accident was mainly Tom's fault. He was driving much too close to the car in front. (he/ be further away/ he/be able to stop in time).

8. The launching of the rocket was delayed half an hour by bad weather. (the weather/ be good/ they/ launch it on time).

9. Why did you throw away those newspapers? I hadn't finished with them. ~ I'm sorry. (I/ know you were still reading them/I/ not throw them away).

10. I'm sorry you didn't tell me that dogs were allowed in the hotel; (I/ know/ I/ bring/ my dog. He/ enjoy the walk).

E x. 11 Read the following newspaper headlines and speak about the accidents using conditionals type III.

1. DISCO FIRE – 4 KILLED Emergency Exit Closed.

2. GARAGE BURNT TO THE GROUND – Lighted Cigarette Left In Waste Bin.

3. TRAIN CRASH – Driver Failed To Stop At SIGNAL.

4. YACHT SINKS – Crew Ignored Storm Warning.

5. PLANE CRASH – Pilot Misunderstood Air Traffic Control.

6. CYCLIST KILLED – No lights On Bicycle.

7. BOY SHOOTS BABY BROTHER – Father Lift Loaded Gun In Drawer

Ex 12 Read the stories below. a) Comment on the events with conditionals type III.

T here was a family who was very poor so they lived in a little house. One day the children were hungry so the mother went to the market. On the way she crossed a bridge and saw something in the river. She leant over the bridge and her purse fell into the water. It sank to the bottom of the river so she couldn't reach it. A fish swam by and swallowed it. She had no money so she went home. There was no food in the house so the father went fishing. He caught a big fish so he had something for his wife to cook. She cut the fish open and found her purse inside with all the money still in it.

b) Ask and answer questions as in the example, then make a chain of conditional sentences Type III: E.g.: If Robin hadn’t argued with his boss, would he have lost the job?

1) Robin argued with his boss, so he lost his job. He needed money, so he robbed a bank. The police arrested him, so he went to court. There, the judge sentenced him to ten years in prison, his normal life was ruined.

2) Sally had a terrible day yesterday. She was in a hurry, so she left some important notes at home. She wasn’t prepared for her meeting with a new client, so the meeting was a disaster. The client was disappointed, and as a result he refused to do business with the company. The boss shouted at Sally, so she got upset.

In conversation the forms of the Conditional mood and Subjunctive II are normally contracted: If I had known…= If I’d known; I would have come = I would’ve come = I’d’ve come; I would not have come=I wouldn’t have come= I wouldn’t’ve come

Ex 15 a) Note the use of contracted forms in the following dialogues:

• Debbie, have you sent that telex to Geneva?

• No, I haven't, Mrs. Lewis.

• Why haven't you done it yet? It's urgent.

• Because you didn't ask me to do it. If you'd asked me, I’d’ve sent it!

b) Answer the questions using contracted forms in the conditionals.

Have you sent the telex? Have you photo-copied the report?

Have you posted the letters? Have you typed the contract?

• Did you see a letter from Brazil on this desk?

• Yes, it's here.

• Oh, good. Where's the en­velope?

• I threw it away. Why?

• It had some nice stamps on it. I wanted them for my son. He collects stamps.

• Oh, Gordon! If only I'd known! I'd have kept it if I'd known.

c) Explain things using contracted forms in the conditionals.

I didn't do it. I didn't put it in the drawer. I didn't give it to you.

• What's the matter, Jeff? You don't look very well.

• No. I've had a terrible cold. I've been in bed all weekend, but it's better today.

• Mm ... I had a bad cold last week.

• I know, and you gave it to every­one in the office. I wouldn’t’ve come to work if I'd had a cold like that.

d) Criticise someone’s actions using contracted forms in the conditionals.

• She had a headache. She stayed at work.

• He had a sore throat he worked all day.

• She had toothache. She didn’t go to the dentist.

Ex 16 a) May Brown is a sales executive for a leading cosmetics company. Listen to the story about her day and complete the sentences. New words: budgie - папуга

1. May wouldn't have overslept if ………………………………..

2. Her business trip wouldn't have been cancelled if …………….

3. If she hadn't been so upset, she ...toilet and she …Ben for lunch.

4. If she had met Ben for lunch, …………………………………

5. If she hadn't cried so much, ……………………………………

6. She could have driven home if ………………………………

7. If she had driven home …………………………………………

8. She wouldn't have caught cold if ……………………………….

9. Her boyfriend wouldn't have ended their relationship if ………

10. If she'd remembered to feed the cat, ………………………….

b) Complete the phone conversation that May had with Ben the next day.

• Ben, I can't tell you how sorry I am. Atishoo! Everything went wrong for me yesterday. The last straw was this morning when I found the cat had eaten the budgie. And in a way that was your fault.

• What?! What are you talking about?

• Well, if you hadn't …………………………………………...

• So it's my fault you didn't feed the cat? Come off it, May! Whose fault was it that you forgot to meet me for lunch?

• Well, that's was Ms Collins' fault. If she hadn't……………….. … .

• And why did she cancel your business trip? Whose fault was that? Mine or Ms Collins?

• Well, I suppose that was my fault. You see, I didn't set my alarm, so I overslept and I was late again for work.

• Ah! Now I understand everything. If you'd remembered to ………………………………………………………………….…….

• OK, I'm sorry. Atishoo! It's all my fault. But Ben, I feel so ill.

• You sound dreadful. How did you get such a bad cold?

• That's another story. Come round and see me and I'll tell you and promise not to feel too sorry for myself. Atishoo!

c) Tell your group-mates about a bad day of yours when everything went wrong. Comment on it with a chain of conditional sentences.

Ex 17 Translate the following text into English. ‘The ‘Titanic’

« Титанік» був Британським розкішним пасажирським лайнером. Він затонув підчас свого першого плавання з Саутгемртона (Southampton) до Нью-Йорку у 1912. 14-го квітня. «Титанік» наскочив (to hit) на айсберг у Атлантичному океані і затонув. Було декілька причин, які призвели до трагедії.

По-перше, айсберг почав танути, перевернувся у воді (to capsize) і тому був темно-синього кольору. Якби він був білим, моряки помітили б (to spot) його раніше. Крім того, море було спокійним. Якби були хвилі, край айсбергу став би помітним.

По-друге, лайнер йшов на повній швидкості (to steam at full speed). Якби капітан наказав зменшити швидкість, коли отримав попередження (warnings) про айсберги, в нього було б більше часу зупинити корабель і удар (the blow) не був би таким сильним.

Крім того, оператори були зайняті телеграмами багатих пасажирів і не передали капітану частину повідомлень про айсберги. Якби капітан усвідомлював, якою серйозною була загроза, він був би обережніше. Один з операторів навіть виключив зв'язок з іншим кораблем, оскільки був зайнятий телеграмою пасажирки. Якби він прийняв повне повідомлення, він би отримав координати (coordinates) айсбергу, до якого вони наближались.

По-третє, на лайнері не було червоних ракет (distress flares), які означають тривогу. Якби вони не запустили (to launch) білі ракети замість червоних, кораблі, що були поряд, правильно б їх зрозуміли і врятували б людей. І звичайно ж, більше людей врятувались би, якби було більше рятувальних човнів (lifeboats).

В результаті трагедії (as a result of this disaster) були введені нові правила, щоб морські подорожі стали безпечнішими.

Ex 18 Translate the following quotations into Ukrainian and analyse the conditional sentences.

1. The Romans would never have found time to conquer the world if they had been obliged first to learn Latin. (H. Heine) 2. The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago, had they happened to be within reach of predatory human hands.(E. Havelock ) 3. Homer Simpson once said: “If God had wanted us to be vegetarians, he wouldn’t have made animals out of meat.” 4. Many a man has finally succeeded only because he has failed after repeated efforts. If he had never met defeat he would never have known any great victory. (O.Marden) 5. If Beethoven had been killed in a plane crash at the age of 22, it would have changed the history of music... and of aviation. (T.Stoppard) 6. If I had only known, I would have been a locksmith. (A.Einstein) 7. It is said that if Noah's ark had had to be built by a company; they would not have laid the keel yet; and it may be so. What is many men's business is nobody's business. (Ch. H. Spurgeon)