Third Conditional Conversation Questions

The third conditional in English might sound complicated, but it’s just a fancy way of talking about things that didn’t happen in the past. Imagine you’re thinking about a different way things could have turned out, like saying, “If I had brought an umbrella, I wouldn’t have gotten wet.” This guide will help you understand and use the third conditional through easy conversation questions.

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Third Conditional:

Before diving into the questions, let’s break down what the third conditional is. It’s used to talk about a situation in the past that didn’t happen, and the result that would have happened if that situation had occurred. The formula is: If + past perfect, would have + past participle. For example, “If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.”

Third Conditional Questions in Conversation?

Practice Past Tenses: They’re great for practicing past tenses in English, helping you become more fluent.
Imagination and Creativity: These questions let you think creatively and imagine different outcomes.
Deepen Conversations: Such questions can lead to interesting and deep discussions about choices, regrets, and hypothetical situations.

3rd Conditional Questions:

If you hadn’t seen your favorite movie, which other film do you think would be your favorite?
If you had the power to change one event in history, what would it be and what changes would it bring?
If you had the power to fix one broken relationship from your past, which one would it be and why?
If you hadn’t met your best friend, how do you think your life would be different?
If you hadn’t moved to your current city, where else could you see yourself living?
If you had learned to play a musical instrument as a child, which one would it have been?
If you hadn’t made your most recent major purchase, what else would you have spent that money on?
If you had gone to a different high school, how do you think your friendships would be different?
If you had the opportunity to guest star in any TV show, which one would it have been?
If you had taken a gap year before starting your career or college, what would you have done during that time?
If you hadn’t missed that train last year, what do you think would have happened?
If you had chosen a different place to live last year, where would it be and why?
If you hadn’t learned your current profession, what other profession do you think you would have pursued?
If you hadn’t learned English, what opportunities do you think you would have missed?
If you hadn’t watched your favorite TV show, what other show do you think would have captured your heart?
If you had chosen a different pet, what animal would you have chosen?
If you had taken a different path in your career, what job do you think you would be doing right now?
If you had the chance to relive one day from your childhood, which day would it be and why?
If you had woken up early on your day off last week, what would you have done with the extra time?
If you had been born in a different country, where do you wish it would have been?
If you hadn’t lost your phone that one time, how would your day have turned out?
If you hadn’t made that one major decision last month, where do you think you would be now?
If you hadn’t encountered your biggest fear, do you think you would still be afraid of it?
If you hadn’t tried that new food, do you think your tastes would be different now?
If you had studied a different subject in college, what would it have been?
If you hadn’t met a significant person in your life, how do you think you would be different?
If you had the ability to speak another language fluently last year, which language would it have been?
If you had the chance to redo your last vacation, what would you do differently?
If you had never tried your favorite hobby, what do you think you would be doing in your free time instead?
If you had the chance to invest in any company 10 years ago, which company would you have chosen?
If you had the chance to go back in time and change one decision, what would it be and why?
If you had the chance to go on a space mission, would you have taken it?
If you had won a lot of money last year, how would your life be different now?
If you hadn’t joined your current hobby or club, what else do you think you would have taken up?
If you had not attended your current school, how do you think your education would be different?
If you had remembered that important birthday last year, how do you think the celebration would have turned out?
If you had known it was going to rain yesterday, what would you have done differently?
If you had taken that job offer abroad, how do you think your life would be different now?
If you had the opportunity to write a book last year, what would it have been about?
If you hadn’t lost that one important item, how would it have impacted your life?

Tips for Practicing

Be creative: The third conditional lets you be imaginative, so think outside the box with your answers.
Share stories: Use these questions as a starting point to share personal stories or hypothetical scenarios.
Listen and learn: Pay attention to how others form their sentences, and you’ll pick up new vocabulary and grammar.

3rd Conditional Questions Exercises

Third conditional questions are a great way to practice hypothetical situations and consequences that could have happened in the past but didn’t. Here are some exercises to help you practice:

Exercise 1: Complete the Questions

Complete the following third conditional questions by filling in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets:

If you ___ (to see) the weather forecast, what ___ you ___ (to do) differently?
If she ___ (to study) harder, how ___ she ___ (to perform) on the test?
If they ___ (to know) about the traffic jam, which route ___ they ___ (to take)?
If he ___ (to wake) up earlier, where ___ he ___ (to go) in the morning?
If we ___ (to realize) the concert was sold out, what ___ we ___ (to plan) instead?

Exercise 2: Create Third Conditional Questions

Using the scenarios provided, create third conditional questions:

Scenario: You didn’t bring an umbrella, and it rained.

- Question: ___?

Scenario: Your friend didn’t apply for the job in time.

- Question: ___?

Scenario: You didn’t study for the exam.

- Question: ___?

Scenario: They took the wrong turn and got lost.

- Question: ___?

Scenario: She forgot her anniversary.

- Question: ___?

3rd Conditional Questions Solved Exercises

Exercise 1: Complete the Questions

If you had seen the weather forecast, what would you have done differently?
If she had studied harder, how would she have performed on the test?
If they had known about the traffic jam, which route would they have taken?
If he had woken (or had waked) up earlier, where would he have gone in the morning?
If we had realized the concert was sold out, what would we have planned instead?

Exercise 2: Create Third Conditional Questions

For these, I’ll give an example question for each scenario, but remember, there are many ways to frame a question based on the scenario: