Mixed conditional

We've looked at the second conditional:
• "If I knew what to do, I would do it."
    If + past                     would + infinitive

And we've looked at the third conditional:
• "If I had been there, I would have helped her."
   If + past perfect          would have + past participle

When we talk about mixed conditionals, we are referring to a combination of structures, most commonly a combination of the second and third conditionals.

If we take a look at a third conditional sentence:
• "If I hadn't eaten so much tiramisu, I wouldn't have felt sick."

This situation happened in the past: I ate the tiramisu last night and I felt sick afterwards, but I am not feeling sick now.

But what if you ate the tiramisu last night or earlier today and you still feel sick? You could use a mixed conditional and say:
• "If I hadn't eaten so much tiramisu, I wouldn't feel sick."

In the example above, if is used with the past perfect to express something that didn't happen in the past, but which has an effect on the present.

Mixed conditionals are formed like this:          would + infinitive                           if + past perfect

• "Where do you think you would be if you had married Tony?"
• "I would have five children by now if I had married Tony."
• "If I hadn't taken the job in France, I wouldn't be here now."

Now try our exercise.

Dagmar Taylor

Complete the following sentences with the correct form of "have" from the list below. Drag the words in grey with your mouse.