1. Match the sentence halves.
1) I would have been able to get some money out
2) If you hadn’t waited until the sales,
3) Wendy wouldn’t have lent him the money
4) She would have had a coffee
5) If we’d saved some money,
6) If she hadn’t had the receipt,
a if she’d had some small change for the machine.
b if she’d known he wasn’t going to pay her back.
c we’d have been able to afford a new car.
d if I hadn’t forgotten PIN number.
e you’d have paid more for your skirt.
f she wouldn’t have got a refund on the trousers.
Show answers
1) d 2) e 3) b 4) a 5) c 6) f
2. Use the words to make third conditional sentences. Remember to use a comma (,) where necessary.
1) If / Beth / not spend / all her pocket money / she / be able to / buy / a new phone
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2) If / we / go / to the right gate / we / not miss / the flight
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3) I / run out / of petrol / if / I / not find / a petrol station
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4) He / buy / the suit / if / it / not be out of stock
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5) They / not fall out / if / he / pay / her back on time
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6) If / you / shop around / you / find / a cheaper jacket.
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Show answers
1) If Beth hadn’t spent all her pocket money, she would have been able to buy a new phone.
2) If we had gone to the right gate, we wouldn’t have missed the flight.
3) I would have run out of petrol if I hadn’t found a petrol station.
4) He would have bought the suit if it hadn’t been out of stock.
5) They wouldn’t have fallen out if he had paid her back on time.
6) If you had shopped around, you would have found a cheaper ticket.
3. Rewrite the two sentences as one. Use the third conditional.
1) They didn’t advertise the concert. It wasn’t full.
If they had advertised the concert, it would have been full.
2) I wasted money. I’ve been in debt all life.
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3) She had plastic surgery. She became more confident.
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4) He didn’t remember his credit card. He paid in cash.
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5) The webcam was broken. I took it back to the shop.
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6) The shop didn’t order enough high-heeled boots. It sold out.
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Show answers
2) If I hadn’t wasted money, I wouldn’t have been in debt all life.
3) If she hadn’t had plastic surgery, she wouldn’t have become more confident.
4) If he had remembered his credit card, he wouldn’t have paid in cash.
5) If the webcam hadn’t been broken, I wouldn’t have taken it back to the shop.
6) If the shop had ordered enough high-heeled boots, it wouldn’t have sold out.
4. Read Becky’s regrets and complete the sentences.
I didn’t study much at school, so I didn’t pass exams. It was difficult to find a job because I didn’t have any qualifications. I got married very young and I made the wrong decision. I had three children so I stayed at home and didn’t work. I got divorced when the children were small so I went to live with mother. I didn’t meet another partner because I wasn’t able to go out. I never went abroad because I was always broke. I’ve had a hard life.
1) If she ____________ more at school, she ____________ her exams.
2) If she ____________ some qualifications, she ____________ a job more easily.
3) If she ____________ so young, she ____________ the wrong decision.
4) She ____________ at home if she ____________ three children.
5) She ____________ to live with her mother if she ____________ divorced.
6) If she ____________ to go out, she ____________ another partner.
7) She ____________ abroad if she ____________ broke.
Show answers
1) had studied, would have passed
2) had had, would have found
3) hadn’t got married, wouldn’t have made
4) wouldn’t have stayed, hadn’t had
5) wouldn’t have gone, hadn’t got
6) had been able, would have met
7) would have gone, hadn’t (always) been
Challenge!
Have you got any regrets about your education, your friends or your family? Write about them here using the third conditional.
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