The Past Conditional
The past conditional describes a past situation that never happened, or it did happen and the person speaking is describing the possibility of something not happening in the past. This is also called the past unreal or the past contrary-to-fact.
Here's an example:
If I had gone to that party, I would have had a good time.
(situation: I didn't go to the party; therefore, I didn't have a good time.)
"If I had gone to that party" uses the past perfect in this part of the sentence.
"I would have had a good time" is the likely result.
Sometimes you can do this without "if" and just use the past perfect:
Had I heard the weather report, I would have taken an umbrella.
or....
If I had heard the weather report, I would have taken an umbrella.
These are both good sentences, but the second one is used more often.
Here are some more examples:
If she had been more careful, she wouldn't have spilled her coffee.
(She wasn't careful, and this is the result. You can't change the past, but you can talk about it.)
If Stephanie hadn't climbed up the tree, she wouldn't have fallen down and broken her arm.
(But, in fact, she climbed the tree, fell down and broke her arm)
If he had given up smoking, he wouldn't have died at such an early age.
(He didn't give up smoking, and then he died because of this fact.)
Advance Level Quiz #1 - The Past Conditional
Part A. Directions: There are two verbs provided for each sentence to make the past conditional. Fill in the blanks. (10 points)
Example: If he had known about the sale, he would have gone to it. (know / go)
1. If I __________ ___________ them, I __________ ____________ ____________ them to sit with us. (see / ask)
2. If I __________ ____________ your phone number, I ____________ __________ ___________ you. (have / call)
3. She ____________ ____________ ____________ wet if she ___________ ____________ her umbrella. (get / forget)
4. It __________ ___________ __________ a better party if Tom __________ ____________ there. (be / be)
5. If it ___________ ___________ so cold that day, we ___________ ___________ ____________ outside. (be--negative / eat)
Part B. Directions: There are two verbs provided for each sentence to make the past conditional. Both verbs are negative. (10 points)
1. Our teacher ___________ ___________ __________us a test if she ___________ ____________ us for it. (give / prepare)
2. If the car __________ __________, Bob __________ __________ ____________ to work today, but it was okay. (start / go)
3. If he ____________ ____________ all that food, he ___________ ___________ ______________ sick. (eat / get)
4. I ____________ ___________ ___________ from college if I __________ ___________ really hard. (graduate / work)
5. If you ____________ ____________ out so late, you ____________ ____________ ____________ in trouble. ( stay / get)
Part C. There are two verbs provided for each sentence to make the past conditional. One of the verbs is the verb "do." Fill in the blanks in each sentence. (10 points)
1. If I __________ __________ better on the test, I __________ __________ _________ a better grade. (do / get)
2. If they ________ __________ it was going to rain, they __________ __________ ________their work outside earlier. (know / do)
3. Tia _________ __________ __________ to work on time if she __________ __________ the bus. (get / miss--negative)
4. We _________ _________ __________ to do the dishes if you __________ __________ them already. (offer / do--negative)
5. If she __________ ___________ her homework, she __________ ___________ ___________ the lesson. (do / understand)
The past conditional describes a past situation that never happened, or it did happen and the person speaking is describing the possibility of something not happening in the past. This is also called the past unreal or the past contrary-to-fact.
Here's an example:
If I had gone to that party, I would have had a good time.
(situation: I didn't go to the party; therefore, I didn't have a good time.)
"If I had gone to that party" uses the past perfect in this part of the sentence.
"I would have had a good time" is the likely result.
Sometimes you can do this without "if" and just use the past perfect:
Had I heard the weather report, I would have taken an umbrella.
or....
If I had heard the weather report, I would have taken an umbrella.
These are both good sentences, but the second one is used more often.
Here are some more examples:
If she had been more careful, she wouldn't have spilled her coffee.
(She wasn't careful, and this is the result. You can't change the past, but you can talk about it.)
If Stephanie hadn't climbed up the tree, she wouldn't have fallen down and broken her arm.
(But, in fact, she climbed the tree, fell down and broke her arm)
If he had given up smoking, he wouldn't have died at such an early age.
(He didn't give up smoking, and then he died because of this fact.)
Advance Level Quiz #1 - The Past Conditional
Part A. Directions: There are two verbs provided for each sentence to make the past conditional. Fill in the blanks. (10 points)
Example: If he had known about the sale, he would have gone to it. (know / go)
1. If I __________ ___________ them, I __________ ____________ ____________ them to sit with us. (see / ask)
2. If I __________ ____________ your phone number, I ____________ __________ ___________ you. (have / call)
3. She ____________ ____________ ____________ wet if she ___________ ____________ her umbrella. (get / forget)
4. It __________ ___________ __________ a better party if Tom __________ ____________ there. (be / be)
5. If it ___________ ___________ so cold that day, we ___________ ___________ ____________ outside. (be--negative / eat)
Part B. Directions: There are two verbs provided for each sentence to make the past conditional. Both verbs are negative. (10 points)
1. Our teacher ___________ ___________ __________us a test if she ___________ ____________ us for it. (give / prepare)
2. If the car __________ __________, Bob __________ __________ ____________ to work today, but it was okay. (start / go)
3. If he ____________ ____________ all that food, he ___________ ___________ ______________ sick. (eat / get)
4. I ____________ ___________ ___________ from college if I __________ ___________ really hard. (graduate / work)
5. If you ____________ ____________ out so late, you ____________ ____________ ____________ in trouble. ( stay / get)
Part C. There are two verbs provided for each sentence to make the past conditional. One of the verbs is the verb "do." Fill in the blanks in each sentence. (10 points)
1. If I __________ __________ better on the test, I __________ __________ _________ a better grade. (do / get)
2. If they ________ __________ it was going to rain, they __________ __________ ________their work outside earlier. (know / do)
3. Tia _________ __________ __________ to work on time if she __________ __________ the bus. (get / miss--negative)
4. We _________ _________ __________ to do the dishes if you __________ __________ them already. (offer / do--negative)
5. If she __________ ___________ her homework, she __________ ___________ ___________ the lesson. (do / understand)
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