Conditional Sentences: Hypothetical Situations in the Past
Use if + past perfect + would have + past participle to talk about things that didn’t happen in the past and
had a result in the past or to talk about things you would have done differently.
If I hadn’t found my book, I would have been in trouble. (I found my book, so I wasn’t in trouble.)
If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam. (I didn’t study hard, so I didn’t pass the exam.)
Use if + past perfect + would + (not) base verb/be + -ing to talk about things that didn’t happen in the past
and have a result in the present.
If I hadn’t learned English, I wouldn’t understand you. (I learned English, so I understand you.)
If we had won, we would be celebrating. (We didn’t win, so we aren’t celebrating.)
Note: I’d = I + had or I + would
If I’d (= I had) been more careful, I’d (= I would) have avoided the accident.
If with Could and Might
Use if and could/might + past perfect to talk about possibilities and missed opportunities.
If I had gotten a job last summer, I could have saved more money.
If she had left work earlier, she might have avoided traffi c.