MIXED CONDITIONALS

1. Mixed Conditionals
Whenwe talkabout mixedconditionals,we are referringtoconditional sentencesthatcombine twodifferenttypes
of conditional patterns.
A mixed conditional gives a situation and result - but one is in the past, and the other is in the present.
1. FIRST TYPE: PRESENT RESULT OF A PAST CONDITION
 mixed third / second conditional
This combination describes an IMAGINARY SITUATION IN THE PAST AND THE IMAGINARY
CONSEQUENCES IN THE PRESENT.
Imaginary Past Situation
3rd conditional
Imaginary Present Result
2nd conditional
if + had(n't) + past participle would(n't) + verb (infinitive)
If we had taken the car, we wouldn't be late.
More examples:
 If I had worked harder at school,I wouldhave a better jobnow. (but I didn´t,so I don´thaveit now)
 If we had lookedat the mapwe wouldn'tbelost.
 If you hadcaught thatplane you wouldbe dead now.
 If I had studiedmedicineat university,I'dbe rich now.
2. SECOND TYPE: PAST RESULT OF PRESENT CONDITION
 mixed second / third conditional
This combination describes an IMAGINARY SITUATION IN THE PRESENT WITH AN IMAGINARY PAST
CONSEQUENCE OR RESULT.
Imaginary Present
Situation
2nd conditional
Imaginary Past Result
3rd conditional
if + past simple would(n't) + have + past participle
If I didn't love him, I wouldn't have married him.
More examples:
 If I wasn'tafraidof spiders,(Now,butI am) I wouldhave picked it up. (Inthe past,but I didn´tbecause I am
afraidof spiders)
 If we didn'ttrust him we wouldhave sacked himmonths ago.(But we trust himnow so we didn´tsack
him)
 If I wasn'tin the middleof another meeting,I wouldhave been happy to helpyou. (But I am in the middle
of a meetingnow)