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Third Conditional Sentences and Questions

Published on March 30, 2024 | Updated on July 6, 2024

Conditional sentences are an important part of the English language, and the third conditional is one of the most complex for English language learners.

The third conditional is used to talk about situations in the past that did not happen, and the results that would have occurred if they had.

These are some examples of third conditional sentences and questions:

  • If they had gone to bed earlier, they wouldn’t have been so tired.
  • If I had known you were coming, I would have prepared dinner.
  • Had they arrived on time, would they have caught the train?

In this post, we will go over the structure of third conditional questions and provide several examples to help you understand how to use them correctly.


How to Make Third Conditional Questions

To form a third conditional question, you can use the following structure:

Structure Example
If If
Past PerfectYou had won the lottery
Would have + ParticipioWould you have bought a mansion?

Third Conditional Questions: Examples

Here are some other examples of third-conditional questions:

  • If you had bought that ticket, would you have enjoyed the concert?
  • If she had taken that job, would she have been happier now?
  • If they had learned Spanish, would they have traveled to Spain?
  • If I had gone to bed earlier, would I have felt more rested?
  • If he had studied harder, would he have gotten a better grade?
  • If we had left earlier, would we have avoided the traffic jam?
  • If she had known the truth, would she have left him?
  • If they had practiced more, would they have won the game?
  • If he had eaten healthier, would he have lost weight?
  • If you had invested in that stock, would you have made a profit?
  • If we had taken the other route, would we have arrived faster?
  • If she had taken her medication, would she have recovered faster?
  • If they had listened to the instructions, would they have completed the task?
  • If he had checked the weather forecast, would he have taken an umbrella?
  • If we had arrived earlier, would we have secured a better seat?
  • If she had exercised regularly, would she have been more energetic?
  • If they had followed the recipe, would they have made a delicious meal?
  • If he had practiced more, would he have played the guitar better?
  • If we had booked in advance, would we have saved money?
  • If she had stayed in school, would she have pursued a different career?

Third Conditional Explanation Video

In this video, you will find everything you need to know to make third conditional sentences and videos.


Manuel Campos

Manuel Campos

I am Jose Manuel, English professor and creator of EnglishPost.org, a blog whose mission is to share lessons for those who want to learn and improve their English