Friday 23 February 2024

WISH / IF ONLY

MIXED CONDITIONALS




Mixed Conditionals

A mixed conditional gives a situation and result - but one is in the past, and the other is in the present. For example:

If I had studied medicine at university, I'd be rich now.

This is an imaginary past situation, with an imaginarypresent result.


Imagined Past Situation

Imagined Present Result

if + had(n't) + past participle

would(n't) + verb (infinitive)

If we had taken the car,

we wouldn't be late.


Imagined Present Situation

Imagined Past Result

if + past simple

would(n't) + have + past participle

If I didn't love him,

I wouldn't have marriedhim.



As with all other conditionals, it doesn't matter which half of the sentence comes first:

If I didn't love him, I wouldn't have married him.

= I wouldn't have married him if I didn't love him.