Fill in the blanks.
1You ............... if you had tried a little harder.
Wrong!
In a third conditional main clause, use "could have won" for a possible past result that did not happen.
2If she ............... nice, I would have asked her out.
Wrong!
In the if-clause of a third conditional sentence, use the past perfect form "had been".
3If I ............... his address, I could have written to him.
Wrong!
The third conditional needs the past perfect form "had known" in the if-clause.
4If I ............... the lottery, I could have bought a nice car and a home.
Wrong!
Use "had won" because the if-clause refers to an unreal past condition.
5I might have bought that house if it ............... a little larger.
Wrong!
After "if" in this third conditional sentence, the correct past perfect form is "had been".
6I would not have walked all the way to the post office if I ............... that it was closed.
Wrong!
Use "had known" for the unreal past condition in the if-clause.
7I would have spent more time with my friend if I ............... that she was terminally ill.
Wrong!
The past perfect form "had known" shows that the condition was not true in the past.
8She ............... if you had asked more politely.
Wrong!
A third conditional result clause uses "would not have refused" to describe an unreal past result.
9If you ............... more careful, you would not have dropped that vase.
Wrong!
Use the past perfect form "had been" in the if-clause of a third conditional sentence.
10I ............... him some money if I had known that he was in difficulty.
Wrong!
The correct third conditional result form is "would have lent".
11If you had followed the instructions, you ............... so many silly mistakes.
Wrong!
Use "would not have made" for an unreal past result in the third conditional.
12If she ............... prompt treatment, her health would not have deteriorated.
Wrong!
The if-clause needs the past perfect form "had sought" for an unreal past condition.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- You could have won if you had tried a little harder.
- If she had been nice, I would have asked her out.
- If I had known his address, I could have written to him.
- If I had won the lottery, I could have bought a nice car and a home.
- I might have bought that house if it had been a little larger.
- I would not have walked all the way to the post office if I had known that it was closed.
- I would have spent more time with my friend if I had known that she was terminally ill.
- She would not have refused if you had asked more politely.
- If you had been more careful, you would not have dropped that vase.
- I would have lent him some money if I had known that he was in difficulty.
- If you had followed the instructions, you would not have made so many silly mistakes.
- If she had sought prompt treatment, her health would not have deteriorated.