Let's talk about our third conditional. So, this one is a bit different. This refers to, it's
all in the past, this third conditional is all happening in the past. It refers to an impossible
condition in the past and its probable result in the past. So actually, we often use the third
conditional to talk about things we regret. If I had done this, this would have been different.
So, third conditional, all talking about the past, an impossible condition in the past.
These sentences are truly hypothetical and unreal because we can't change the past right.
In the second conditional I’d say, “Oh if I won the lottery, I would…” That's hypothetical,
but maybe one day I could win the lottery. Third conditional is totally unreal because
it's all about the past and we cannot change the past. So, the time is the past, and the situation
is hypothetical. So, let's take a look at what this means. So, here we're using past
perfect. If past perfect and then a perfect conditional or perfect continuous conditional.
So, what does that look like? If this thing had happened, that thing would have happened. So, all
imagining right. All hypothetical, didn't happen, wish it did. For example, if it had rained,
you would have gotten wet. Today's a sunny day, but if it had rained in the past,
you would have gotten wet. In the past right. So, these impossible things that would have,
could have happened in the past. Next one, if you had worked harder, you would have passed the test.
So, here we see a commonly used way that the third conditional is used to talk about regret.
If you had worked harder, you would have passed the test. If this past condition were true,
this other thing also would have been true, but you didn't, you didn't work hard, you didn't
pass the test. If you had worked harder, you would have passed the test. Notice here, yes,
we're using perfect tense which means we're using things like had happened would have happened.
Have gotten, have passed, we're using our past participles here.
Alright, let's look at some more examples and then we'll take some questions. So, here we go,
third conditional examples: If I had worked harder, I would have gotten a promotion.
So, here a different form of that passing the test question. If I had worked harder, I would
have gotten a promotion. So, this means I didn't get a promotion because I didn't work hard enough.
So, remember third conditional, totally hypothetical, all in the past. If I had
worked harder in the past, I would have gotten a promotion in the past.
If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
Maybe it's my friend's birthday and they come to my house unexpectedly and I say, oh if I had
known you were coming, I would have baked a cake. So, I can't change this right? This is totally
hypothetical. I can't go back in time and bake a cake, but I can tell my friend:
If I had known you were coming, in the past, I would have baked a cake, in the past.
And here again regret. Oh, I wish I would have known, I wish I could have done that.
And here, oh so sad, I would have been happy, if you had called me on my birthday. So,
in this form, just like in our other forms, we can take our “if” clause and our main clause and
switch them. So, I could say: if you had called me on my birthday, I would have been happy.
Or, I would have been happy, if you had called me on my birthday. Again, all in the past, right?
Can't change it all in the past and just thinking what could have, would have happened. Last one,
if you had told me you were free, I wouldn't have made other plans. So, this is something I say
to my husband very often. Sometimes he wants to do things together, but I’ve made other plans. So,
I say: if you had told me you were free and didn't have plans, I wouldn't have made other plans. So
again, what could have been different in the past? So what about contractions? So, if we look
at a sentence, our first sentence here: if I had worked harder, I would have gotten a promotion.
So, I had, and I would both, they both have the same contraction: I’d. So, it can be a little
confusing to read. So that with contractions if I’d worked harder, I’d have gotten a promotion.
One key trick here to know does this mean would or had let's take a look at this first part:
if I’d worked harder, so what sounds more correct? If I had worked harder or if I would
worked harder? It would be if I had, right. When we have an ed this is a past participle,
then it must be had. If I had worked. If I had known. If you had told me. And here we see
our past participles, right. Same had called, had known. So, if the next word is a past participle,
we know it means have or had. In our second part, I’d have gotten a promotion. So, what makes more
sense? I would have gotten a promotion, or I had have gotten a promotion. Maybe I would have, right
and often in these conditionals we use the phrase I would have. So, I’d have means, I would have.
Here's another example: if I’d known you were coming, I’d have baked a cake. Again,
we know this first part with our if is had because we have our past participle known. If I had known,
if I’d known, I’d have baked a cake. There again I would have baked a cake,
but actually more often we say: I would have. So, we don't necessarily say,
if we have the phrase I would have. We could say, I’d have, but often we say, I would have.
So, it's a little easier there. So, let's review and then we'll take some questions.
So, zero conditional is what we use for general facts and truths. If this thing happens, that
thing happens. If you heat water to 100 degrees Celsius, it boils. Simple truths, simple facts.
First conditional is about a real possible condition and a possible or probable
result. If this thing happens, that thing will happen. For example, if I exercise,
I will go out to eat with my friends later. If I do this, then that will happen.
Second conditional is unlikely or hypothetical. For example,
if this thing happened, that thing would happen. And our last one, our third conditional is truly
not possible, all happens in the past. If this thing had happened, that thing would
have happened. If you had told me you were coming over, I would have made dinner. So,
this is a useful chart for remembering and I hope that you guys learned a lot in this lesson today.