If only it hadn't ...

THE STAR’S MIND OUR ENGLISH Friday April 20, 2007

If only it hadn’t ...

By GUY PERRING

HERE are some more examples of the third conditional. See if you can fill in the gaps.

I would have studied the third conditional if I _______ in my class but I was absent.

If it ______ snowed, we would have gone to the party. (but it was dangerous)

If I had known it was going to rain, I ______ taken my umbrella. (but I didn’t)

We _________ got wet if you had brought your umbrella.

I would have gone skiing if there had _____ some snow.

What would you have _______ yesterday if the weather had been better?

(See below my name for the answers.)

Use:

One of the more complex areas of English is the conditional. There are arguably four types – First, Second, Third and Zero.

We use the third conditional when imagining possibilities in the past. The important thing is that, although they were possible, they didn’t happen.

We could/would have played tennis yesterday, if it hadn’t rained.

(it was possible to play tennis but it didn’t happen because it rained.)

Formation:

Subject + could/would have + past participle .............., if + s + past perfect (had + past participle)

I + would have + gone to the seaside, if + it + hadn’t rained

NB. We can change the order of the sentence so that “if” comes at the beginning:

If it hadn’t rained, I would have gone to the seaside. (This is also correct.)

The verb in the if part of the sentence is in the past perfect tense. This shows the condition which stopped the event from happening.

The verb in the other part of the sentence is would have + past participle and shows what you would have done as a result of this condition.

Sometimes we can use might or could instead of would.

NB. We do not use would have in the if part of the sentence.

Here’s a story:

Clara had a bad day last Thursday, mainly due to the weather. She forgot her umbrella and got very wet. Her hair was blown by the wind, her dress and shoes were damaged by the rain and she didn’t get the modelling job she wanted.

If Clara had remembered to take her umbrella, I bet it wouldn’t _______ rained. (remember to use infinitive after would.)

If it hadn’t rained so hard, her dress ______ have been ruined.

If the streets had _____ proper drains, they wouldn’t have flooded.

If she had looked good, she _______ have got the modelling job.

If she had got the job, she wouldn’t have _______ so upset.

Answers:
have
wouldn’t
had (“had had” is correct even though it is ricky to say)
might (it is not definite)
been (use “be” when we talk about emotions.) had been
hadn’t
would have
wouldn’t have
been
done

Guy Perring is Director, Professional Development Unit (PDU), at the British Council Malaysia. The PDU offers a wide range of learning opportunities from management and communication skills training to developing English skills. Visit it at www.britishcouncil.org.my or e-mail guy.perring@britishcouncil.org.my.

The above article has attracted my comments below sent on April 20, 2007 to The Editor of The Star's Mind our English from whom I have yet to receive any response


Judging from the flow of sense, I am inclined to believe that the sentence in "If only it hadn’t " of MIND OUR ENGLISH published on April 20 reading, "The verb in the other part of the sentence is would have + past participle and shows what you would have done as a result of this condition," should have been, "The verb in the other part of the sentence is would have + past participle and shows what you would have done if not for the result of this condition."

Regards,

Kengt, Penang