Program 9: What If? The Past Conditional with "Would" and "Could"
Learn to discuss hypothetical past situations, imagine different outcomes, and talk about missed opportunities.
Instructor: Dave Starts today.
About this course
Take a trip back in time to explore the "what ifs" of life. This program focuses on the Past Conditional (also known as the Third Conditional), teaching you how to talk about hypothetical situations in the past that did not actually happen. You will master the complex sentence structure combining the Past Perfect in the "If-clause" (If I had...) with the perfect conditional in the main clause (...I would/could have). Crucially, you will learn the nuanced difference between using "would have" to express a definite, expected result (e.g., "If I had studied, I would have passed") and "could have" to express a missed possibility or ability (e.g., "If I had saved money, I could have bought that car"). To support these advanced structures, you will utilize a broad vocabulary of everyday nouns, prepositional phrases, and adverbial expressions.
What you'll learn
Skills you'll gain
Syllabus
Discover what awaits you in this step-by-step program.
Module 1 4 hours
The Past Conditional with Would and Could.
• Describe hypothetical past situations and their imagined consequences (e.g., "If she had arrived on time, she would have seen the movie").
• Express missed opportunities or past possibilities that were never realized using "could have" (e.g., "We could have gone to the beach").
• Explain logical alternative outcomes for past events using "would have."
• Formulate advanced Yes/No questions to ask others about alternative pasts (e.g., "Would you have gone to the party if you had known?").
• Seamlessly connect complex clauses using advanced adverbial phrases (e.g., "so heavily," "enough money") and prepositional phrases (e.g., "in new technology").
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Intermediate (CEFR B1) Level
Recommended for your stage
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2 weeks to complete
2 hours a week
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Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
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Program 9: What If? The Past Conditional with "Would" and "Could"
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