Structure of a Type 3 Conditional

A Type 3 conditional sentence typically has two clauses:

1. The “if” clause (past perfect tense): describes the hypothetical condition.
2. The “main clause” (would + have + past participle): describes the hypothetical result.

The basic formula looks like this:

• If + past perfect, would + have + past participle.

Example:

If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam.

In this sentence, the speaker is imagining an unreal past situation—she didn’t study hard, and as a result, she didn’t pass the exam.

Breaking It Down with Examples

1. “If” Clause (Past Perfect)

• The past perfect tense (had + past participle) is used here to show that the condition is in the past and didn’t happen.
• Example: If they had arrived on time…

2. “Main Clause” (Would Have + Past Participle)

• This part imagines the result that could have happened if the condition were met.
• Example: …they would have seen the entire show.

Combining them:

If they had arrived on time, they would have seen the entire show.

This sentence suggests they didn’t arrive on time, so they missed the show.

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks with the correct form for Type 3 conditionals:

1. If he ______ (not/miss) the train, he ______ (arrive) on time.
2. They ______ (succeed) if they ______ (try) harder.
3. If we ______ (know) about the sale, we ______ (buy) more.

Answers:

1. If he hadn’t missed the train, he would have arrived on time.
2. They would have succeeded if they had tried harder.
3. If we had known about the sale, we would have bought more.