Grammar: Mixed Conditionals

A conditional consist of two clauses:

                      If-clause (the condition) + the main or result clause

Depending on the meaning we have many different conditionals. As in all conditional sentences, the order of the clauses is not fixed. We are going to look at two mixed conditionals that express unreal situations.

PAST CONDITION / PRESENT RESULT

The structure of the first mixed conditional is:

                     If + past perfect, would (could, might) + infinitive

This type of mixed conditional refers to an unreal past condition and its probable result in the present. We use it to express a situation which is contrary to reality both in the past and in the present.

For example: If we hadn’t missed our flight, we would be in England now.

                     If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now.

                     If we had looked at the map, we wouldn’t be lost.

PRESENT CONDITION / PAST RESULT

The structure of the second mixed conditional is:

                      If + past simple, would (could, might) have + past participle

This type of mixed conditional refers to an unreal present situation and its probable (but unreal) past result. We use it to express that due to certain present conditions something already happened in the past. In these mixed conditional sentences, the time in the if clause is now or always and the time in the main clause is before now.

For example: If I wasn’t afraid of spiders, I would have picked it up.

                     If we didn’t trust him, we would have sacked him months ago.

                     If I was a good cook, I’d have invited them to lunch.

References:

1.     “Mixed Conditional” | English Grammar Guide | EF. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2017, from http://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-grammar/mixed-conditional/

2.     “Mixed Conditionals” | Learn English. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2017, from https://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/mixed-conditionals/