Mixed conditional: general condition with an unreal result in the past
In this type of mixed conditional the if-clauseA group of related words containing a subject and a verb. is in the second, while the main clauseA clause that could be a sentence in itself. E.g.: I wouldn’t go there if I were you. ("I wouldn't go there") When I arrived he was surfing. ("he was surfing") is in the third conditional.
If Mr Douglas had a moustache, Ms Zeta Jones would probably not have married him.
If I were smarter, I would have been able to answer.
Compare:
If I were smarter, I would have been able to answer. (I am dumb.) (mixed conditional)
If I had been smarter, I would have been able to answer. (It wasn't my day.) (third conditional)
Topics with similar tags
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- Mixed conditional: past condition with a result in the present
- Third conditional
- Second conditional
- AS IF, AS THOUGH
- Less likely conditions in third conditional
- Zero conditional in indirect speech
- WOULD RATHER, complex sentence, past reference
- The difference between the zero and the first conditional
- Zero conditional with past reference
- Inversion in conditional sentences
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