I live in Spain and I love it. Occasionally however, I wonder what would have happened if I had got a job teaching English in Paris instead of Barcelona. What would my life look like now? Who knows? It is impossible to know, but it is great to talk about all the alternative lives and circumstances that exist in our imaginations. In order to do this, we need to have a good grasp of conditionals. They help us talk about possibilities. Sometimes, we can combine parts of the first, second, and third conditionals to create sentences that express complex ideas. This might sound tricky, but with some practice and examples, you’ll get the hang of it. Let’s explore how (and when) we can mix conditionals.
Mixing first, second, and third conditionals
The basics of conditionals
Before we look at mixing, let’s review the three main types of conditionals.
Used for real and possible situations in the future. Example: "If it rains tomorrow, I will stay at home."
Used for unreal or hypothetical situations in the present or future. Example: "If I were rich, I would buy a castle in Scotland."
Used to talk about unreal situations in the past, often to express regret. Example: "If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam."
What are mixed conditionals?
Mixed conditionals combine parts of different types of conditionals. This is useful when the time frames of the condition and the result are different. There are two common types:
1. Past Condition + Present Result
This describes how a past event affects the present. Example: "If I had studied art, I would be an artist now."
- Past condition (If I had studied art)
- Present result (I would be an artist now)
2. Present Condition + Past Result
This describes how a current situation affects something that happened in the past. Example: "If I were more organized, I would have finished my work yesterday."
- Present condition (If I were more organized)
- Past result (I would have finished my work yesterday)
Mixing in real life: famous people and places
Let’s look at some examples based on famous people and real-world places. These examples show how mixed conditionals can make our language richer and more interesting.
1. Albert Einstein and modern physics
"If Einstein hadn’t developed the theory of relativity, we wouldn’t have GPS technology today." Here, a past condition (If Einstein hadn’t developed the theory) affects a present result (we wouldn’t have GPS today).
2. Leonardo da Vinci and his legacy
"If Leonardo da Vinci were alive today, he would have created even more inventions." A present condition (If Leonardo were alive today) is linked to a past result (he would have created more inventions).
3. Venice and Tourism
"If Venice had built stronger flood defenses in the past, it wouldn’t be struggling with rising sea levels now." A past condition (If Venice had built stronger flood defenses) affects a present result (it wouldn’t be struggling now).
4. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Career
"If Ronaldo hadn’t worked so hard, he wouldn’t be one of the greatest football players today." Past effort (If Ronaldo hadn’t worked so hard) leads to a present result (he wouldn’t be a football star today).
When We Can’t Mix Conditionals
While mixing conditionals is useful, it’s not always appropriate. Some combinations simply don’t make sense.
For example: "If I win the lottery, I would have bought a yacht." This sentence doesn’t work because the condition (If I win the lottery) refers to the future, while the result (I would have bought a yacht) refers to the past. The time frames don’t match logically. To avoid confusion, always think about the relationship between the condition and the result. Ask yourself: Does the time frame make sense?
Practice Makes Perfect
Try creating your own sentences using mixed conditionals. Think about people, places, or events you know, and experiment with different combinations. Remember, it is important that your sentences are always true! The more personalised the examples are, the deeper you process the language and that makes it more memorable.
Learning to mix conditionals allows you to express yourself in a more nuanced way. It’s especially useful for discussing hypothetical situations, regrets, or the impact of past events on the present. By practising, you’ll sound more fluent and natural when speaking or writing in English. So, the next time you’re talking about what could have been, remember: mixing it up with conditionals can help you say exactly what you mean.
Exercises
1. Which of the following sentences is an example of a mixed conditional?
a) If it rains tomorrow, I will stay at home.
b) If I were rich, I would buy a castle in Scotland.
c) If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
d) If I had studied art, I would be an artist now.
2. What type of mixed conditional is the sentence: "If I had studied art, I would be an artist now"?
a) Past condition + Present result
b) Present condition + Past result
c) Present condition + Present result
d) Past condition + Past result
3. Identify the error in this sentence: "If I win the lottery, I would have bought a yacht."
a) The condition and result do not match logically in time.
b) The result is impossible.
c) It uses the wrong type of conditional.
d) There is no error in the sentence.
4. Choose the correct mixed conditional sentence.
a) If Venice builds stronger flood defenses now, it wouldn’t have struggled with rising sea levels.
b) If Venice had built stronger flood defenses, it wouldn’t be struggling with rising sea levels now.
c) If Venice builds stronger flood defenses now, it will not struggle with rising sea levels.
d) If Venice had built stronger flood defenses, it wouldn’t have struggled with rising sea levels in the past.
5. Complete the sentence: "If Ronaldo _____ so hard, he wouldn’t be one of the greatest football players today."
a) doesn’t work
b) didn’t work
c) hadn’t worked
d) hasn’t worked
6. What does this mixed conditional sentence express? "If Leonardo da Vinci were alive today, he would have created even more inventions."
a) A past condition and its result in the past
b) A present condition and its result in the future
c) A present condition and its result in the past
d) A past condition and its result in the present
7. In which situation would mixed conditionals NOT work?
a) Discussing how past events affect the present
b) Discussing how present situations could have influenced the past
c) Combining a future condition with a past result
d) Speculating about alternative scenarios
8. Which sentence illustrates the impact of a current situation on the past?
a) If I were more organized, I would have finished my work yesterday.
b) If I had studied more, I would be a scientist now.
c) If I work hard now, I will achieve my goals.
d) If I had saved money, I would have traveled last year.
Answers
1. d) If I had studied art, I would be an artist now.
2. a) Past condition + Present result
3. a) The condition and result do not match logically in time.
4. b) If Venice had built stronger flood defenses, it wouldn’t be struggling with rising sea levels now.
5. c) hadn’t worked
6. c) A present condition and its result in the past
7. c) Combining a future condition with a past result
8. a) If I were more organized, I would have finished my work yesterday.