Third conditional - Grade 8 Assessment

Select the group of words that correctly completes the `if` part of this third conditional sentence: "If you ______ me earlier, I would have saved you a seat."

• had told

• told

• would have told

• tell

Answer explanation

The 'if' clause in the third conditional uses the past perfect tense, which is formed with 'had' plus the past participle of the verb ('told').

True or False: Third conditional sentences, like "If I had known," talk about things that actually happened in the past.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The third conditional is used to talk about imaginary or unreal situations in the past and their results. It describes what *didn't* happen.

Fill in the blank with the correct verb phrase: "If I had seen the big puddle, I ______ around it."

Answer explanation

The main clause of a third conditional sentence uses 'would have' plus the past participle of the verb ('walked') to describe the imaginary past result.

Identify the sentence that is grammatically correct.

• If she would have tried harder, she would have won.

• If she had tried harder, she would win.

• If she tried harder, she would have won.

• If she had tried harder, she would have won.

Answer explanation

This sentence correctly uses the third conditional structure: the 'if' clause has the past perfect ('had tried'), and the main clause has 'would have' plus the past participle ('would have won'). Option 'a' incorrectly uses 'would have' in the 'if' clause.

True or False: The following sentence uses standard, correct grammar. "If my alarm would have gone off, I wouldn't have been late."

• True

• False

Answer explanation

In standard English grammar, the 'if' clause of a third conditional should use the past perfect ('had gone off'), not 'would have'. The correct sentence is "If my alarm had gone off...".

Fill in the blank with the correct verb phrase to complete the 'if' clause: "We would have finished the game if we ______ more time."

Answer explanation

Even though it looks strange, 'had had' is the correct past perfect form of the verb 'to have'. The 'if' clause needs the past perfect tense (had + past participle).

You forgot to water your plant for a month. Now it's brown and dry. Choose the most logical and grammatically correct conclusion for this sentence: "If I had remembered to water my plant, it ______."

• would have died.

• wouldn't have died.

• hadn't died.

• wouldn't die.

Answer explanation

The context is that forgetting to water the plant caused it to die. The logical hypothetical result of remembering to water it is that it would have survived, or "wouldn't have died." This option is both logical and grammatically correct for the third conditional.

Fill in the blank to show that a different result was *possible* in the past: "If we had saved our money, we ______ bought that new video game."

Answer explanation

'Could have' is used in the main clause to show that a past result was possible or that someone had the ability to do something, but didn't. 'Would have' shows a more certain result.

Your friend says, "I didn't bring an umbrella, so I got soaked in the rain." Which sentence best shows this same idea using the third conditional?

• If I brought an umbrella, I wouldn't have gotten soaked.

• If I had brought an umbrella, I wouldn't get soaked.

• If I had brought an umbrella, I wouldn't have gotten soaked.

• If I would have brought an umbrella, I wouldn't have gotten soaked.

Answer explanation

This correctly rephrases the past event and its consequence as a hypothetical past situation. It uses the correct 'if + past perfect' and 'would have + past participle' structure.

Demonstrate your understanding by completing the verb phrase in the 'if' clause. "My team would have won the soccer match if our best player ______ the final penalty kick."

Answer explanation

To complete the 'if' clause in the third conditional, you need the past perfect tense ('had' + past participle). The past participle of 'score' is 'scored'.