Grammar videos: Third conditional – exercises

Watch the video on our website and read the

conversation between Sophie and Yuna. Then do
these exercises to check your understanding of the
third conditional.

1. Check your understanding: matching

Match the two sentence halves and write a–g next to the numbers 1–7.

E
1…….. I wouldn't have overslept a. if you'd asked.

2……..
C If she had gone to bed earlier, b. you wouldn't have been so stressed at the last minute.
B
3…….. I could have lent you the money c. she wouldn't have been so tired.

4……..
g They wouldn’t have found out d. if you had studied medicine.

5……..
D You could have been a doctor e. if my alarm clock had gone off.
F
6…….. If you'd been more organised, f. they wouldn't have had so many problems.
A
7…….. If they’d taken my advice, g. if you hadn't told them.

2. Check your grammar: word 2 word

Write the words in the correct order to make sentences.

1. have told me. would if remembered I you’d

…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
2. would had have revised more, passed the exam. she If she

If she have revised more, she would had passed the exam.
…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
3. the train If we have hadn’t missed we would arrived on time.

…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
4. If been there have met him. you’d could you

…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
 Grammar videos: Third conditional – exercises
5. I If could have I’d known helped.

…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..
6. if could have gone wanted to. You you’d

…………………………………………………………………………………….…………………..

3. Check your grammar: gap fill

Complete the sentences using the third conditional.

1. He didn't get the job. He couldn't buy a bigger flat.

= If he'd got the job, _______________ a bigger flat.

2. You didn't say you were sorry. She left.

= She wouldn't have left if _______________ you were sorry.

3. You didn't tell us earlier. We didn't do anything.

= We could have done something _______________ us earlier.

4. You stopped quickly. We didn't crash.

= If you hadn't stopped quickly, _______________ crashed.

5. You didn't listen to me. This happened.

= This never would have happened if you _______________ to me.

6. You didn't apply for the job. You didn't get an interview.
= You might _______________ if you'd applied for the job.

7. I went to the party. You persuaded me to go.

= I wouldn't have _______________ me to go.

8. I didn't know she was coming. I didn’t wait for her.

= I would _______________ if I'd known she was coming.

Discussion

If you had been born a boy/girl, how would your life have been different?
 Third Conditional - Test 1
https://www.grammarism.com/third-conditional-exercises/

had observed my life closely, you _____________________

1. If you _______________ would have discovered that I
have never given up a single thing I found a source of pleasure. (observe) (discover)

would have gone on if you ________________

2. But I wonder how long you _____________________, had been left
to yourself. (go on) (passive/leave)

3. If he _______________ present, I think we ____________________ hands without

restraint. (not/be) (shake)

4. I _____________________ at greater length, if I ______________ that you were

now capable of taking any pleasure in reading a letter. (write) (think)

5. If Theodosius ________________ the rigid maxims of interest and policy, his

conduct __________________ justified by his friends; but the generosity of his
behavior on this memorable occasion has extorted the applause of his most inveterate
enemies. (consult) (be)

6. For a letter two months old, it did marvels; if it ___________ a year old it
__________________ miracles. (be) (do)

7. I _________________________ it if I ______________ it. (not/believe) (not/see)

8. If my neighbours _________________ what I was attempting, what do you think

they __________________? (understand) (say)

9. Nothing of all this ______________________, if it ______________ for me.

(happen) (not/be)

10. If he _______________ this they ___________________ up all the fruit.

(not/do) (eat)

11. If he ___________________, he ________________________.

(not/go out) (not/fall)

12. He ____________________ you-like this-if he ______________ you love him

first. (not/get) (not/make)
13. What __________________ my position, if he ______________ when I
conducted the case? (be) (escape)

14. If he _____________ them on the ground he ________________________

perfectly safe, with that horse. (throw) (still/be)

15. It __________________ wise if I ___________ then. (be) (go)

16. That devil _________________ at me if you _________________ him.

(get) (not/stop)

17. If we ________________ up in time, I believe he __________________ right

into us. (not/pull) (go)

18. I guess I _______________ if he ____________ me. (go) (ask)

19. If it _________________ for that, it _____________________________ half-way

from the top! (passive/mean) (hardly/passive/put)

20. I laughed to myself, and thought how ill he ____________________ the part if I
____________ him to do it. (play) (ask)
 Third Conditional - Test 2
https://www.grammarism.com/third-conditional-exercises/?qid=168981

had only done that, the matter ______________________

1. If they ________________ wouldn't have been worth
inquiring into. (only/do) (not/be)

would have made her fortune if she ______________ the stage.

2. She __________________
(make) (go on)

3. And serve you right; if you _________________ at her, it

_________________________. (not/laugh) (not/happen)

4. The improvement of the ships in every way has been extraordinary, and they have
gained far more experience in battle tactics than they ____________________ if they
_____________ in the Atlantic waters. (gain) (stay)

5. If we _______________ interrupted, death __________________ his fate.

(not/be) (be)

6. If they _______________ so the descent __________________ impossible.

(not/do) (be)

7. If you ___________ there, you ______________________ through in a moment.

(be) (passive/run)

8. If I ______________ ill he _____________________ you. (not/be) (never/leave)

9. If it ______________ for them I shouldn't have found you so soon-though I

___________________ you. (not/be) (find)

10. He came within an ace of losing his life a dozen times, and I was so troubled
about him that I __________________ him if I __________ anything to do it with.
(shoot) (have)

11. And then he made another start and, if he _______________ Mrs Anthony always
in his mind, he _________________ out a yell for help. (not/keep) (let)

12. If he __________ the time he _____________________ a lawyer upon an

investigation. (have) (start)

13. If it ___________, it ___________________ much trouble. (be) (save)

14. That is what she __________________ if she _____________ to shield the
criminal. (do) (wish)

15. He had many odd days to spare from his farm work, and if he ________________
days he ___________________ nights. (not/find) (take)

16. He __________________ me pretty fresh if I ___________ like I knew him.

(think) (act)

17. But if he ______________ it, he _________________ nothing else. (refuse) (get)

18. If she _____________ them, they ______________________ her.

(call) (not/hear)

19. He was subordinate to his superiors in rank to the extent that he could execute an
order which changed his own plans with the same zeal he
_______________________ if the plan ___________ his own. (display) (be)

20. He sat down to think, and it seemed to him that she ________________________
this letter if she ____________ the agony of mind he had been through.
(not/write) (know)
 Third Conditional - Test 3
https://www.grammarism.com/third-conditional-exercises/?qid=562201

had asked who ___________________

1. But if I ____________ would have heard me? (ask) (hear)

2. I ____________________ if he _________________ me. (fall) (not/catch)

3. One and one was one, one and she was a woman __________________ a younger
one in being a woman if she _______________ an older one in being a woman.
(be) (not/be)

4. It __________________ wise if she ___________ so. (be) (do)

5. If I ________________ it already, the way his face changed __________________

me of his love for animals. (not/know) (tell)

6. I was right to run away and hide myself, for nobody ______________________
me if I _____________ and told the truth. (believe) (stay)

7. I said, as it seemed to me that it ___________________ all the trouble of holding it

if it ___________ tied to the side. (save) (be)

8. Even if he ________________, what ____________________ of him?

(succeed) (become)

9. It __________________ so mean if I ____________ them less. (be) (give)

10. If the men ____________ their part as well, there ______________________

these tears: and yet, what am I saying? (bear) (not/be)

11. And if she ____________ his name, she ___________________________ to him

to look about him. (know) (gladly/call)

12. If you ___________ here a century ago you __________________ unable to find
even then religion after another pattern. (come) (be)

13. I __________________________ it if I _______________ it.

(not/believe) (not/see)

14. The Indians _____________________ her in their arms all the way, if she
___________ alive and in possession of her senses. (bring) (be)
15. What I went through then no one knows; but when I came back-and I
________________________ back if she _______________ me-it was my friends I
had to consider, and not her. (never/come) (not/make)

16. If we ___________ together you ____________________ me to better things.

(be) (help)

17. If his hand ______________ the account of such a cargo, it

________________________ in his eyes the stain of innocent blood.
(enter) (contract)

18. I __________________ it a big octopus, or some such thing, if it

______________ for the boot. (think) (not/be)

19. If I ____________ myself mistaken, it __________________ a great

disappointment. (find) (be)

20. If he ____________ me the door it __________________ almost as acceptable.

(show) (be)