| Element | FORM/USE: 'IF' + PAST PERFECT + 'WOULD HAVE' + '-ED', IMAGINED SITUATION, REGRET|(THIRD CONDITIONAL) |
|---|---|
| SuperCat | CLAUSES |
| SubCat | conditional |
| Lexical Range | N/A |
| Level | B1 |
| Cando | Can form conditional subordinate clauses with 'if' + past perfect simple and 'would have' + '-ed' in the main clause, to talk about imagined situations in the past, often with regret. |
| Corrected Learner Example | If they had not been there, I would have been very lonely. (Vietnam; B1 THRESHOLD; 2001; Vietnamese; Pass) If I hadn't gone to these horse-riding lessons, I wouldn't have lost my watch. (Argentina; B1 THRESHOLD; 2000; Polish; Pass) I realise that if I hadn't agreed with my parents to go to the concert I wouldn't have met Britney Spears. (Spain; B1 THRESHOLD; 2006; Catalan; Pass) |
| Uncorrected Learner Example | |
| Comments | This is often taught at B2 but there is sufficient evidence in the CLC to show that learners are successfully using it at B1. |
