Mixed Conditionals in English: Guide & Examples

We’re going to be talking about mixed conditional sentences, what they are, how to make them and so much more.

Mixed conditionals are conditional sentence that mix two different times in one sentence.

These mixed conditional sentences refer to an unreal present situation and its probable (but unreal) past

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Type of Conditional Sentences

if you’ve watched some of my previous lessons or perhaps you’ve studied conditionals at school well you’ll know that

• The zero conditional is used to talk about facts and things that are generally true.
• The first conditional talks about a likely present situation
• The second conditional talks about hypothetical or highly unlikely present or future situations
• The third conditional is a past situation which didn’t happen
• Mixed conditionals help you to move through time so a past action with a present result

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Mixed Conditional Sentences

These are some examples of Mixed Conditional Sentences

• If she wasn’t afraid of flying she wouldn’t have travelled by boat.
• I’d have been able to translate the letter if my Italian was better.
• If I was a good cook, I’d have invited them to lunch.
• If I had worked harder at school, I would have a better job now.
• I would have a better job now if I had worked harder at school.
• if I had woken up earlier I wouldn’t have missed the bus

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Types of Mixed Conditional Sentences

Mixed conditionals are conditional sentences that use two different times in them.

They help us to move between two times so the if clause and the main clause in a mixed conditional sentence have different times

There are a few different ways that we can do this. You can mix and match several tenses and times together to make a mixed conditional sentence but I want to focus on the two most common combinations.

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Past Condition / Present Result 

These are some examples of this type of mixed conditional sentences:

1. If I hadn’t missed my bus, I would be in France now.
2. If I had slept longer, I wouldn’t be tired now.
3. If she had tried harder, she would be more successful now. 
4. if I had saved more money I would own this house
5. if you hadn’t taken that job we would be traveling together
6. If they had paid more attention they wouldn’t be failing in class
7. If I had won the lottery, I would be rich.
8. If I had bought it, then it would be worth $1.5 million today.
9. If I had studied finance, I would have more job opportunities.
10. If I had won that competition, I would be rich right now.

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Past Condition/ Future Result

These are some examples of this type of mixed conditional sentences:

• If I had been hired, I would be moving to England next week
• If she had signed up for the ski trip last week, she would be joining us tomorrow.
• If Nicole hadn’t helped me, I would still be cleaning rooms.
• If she hadn’t missed that flight, she would be speaking at the event this evening.

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Present Condition / Past Result 

These are some examples of second type of sentences with the mixed conditional

• If I had more money, I would have gone to France. 
• If I were rich, I would have bought that Ferrari we saw yesterday
• If I drank coffee, I would have ordered a cup.

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Present Condition / Future Result

These are some examples of second type of sentences with the mixed conditional

• If I were rich, I would have bought that Ferrari we saw yesterday.
• If I were more outgoing, I would have asked her out
• If I were you, I would have gone to the party

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Future Condition / Past Result

These are some examples of second type of sentences with the mixed conditional

• If I weren’t going on my trip next week, I would have accepted that new assignment
• If my parents weren’t coming this weekend, I would have planned a party
• If his sister weren’t visiting this weekend, he would have come with us

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Future Condition / Present Result

These are some examples of second type of sentences with the mixed conditional

• If I were going to that concert tonight, I would be very excited.
• If Sandy were giving a speech tomorrow, she would be very nervous.
• If I weren’t going to that wedding, I would have gone out last night
• If I weren’t playing football tomorrow, I would have gone to the gym this morning
• If Julia had a test next Monday, she would be studying for it right now. 

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More English Lessons

I hope that you have found everything you needed to know about mixed conditionals

These are some grammar lessons that you might be interested in

1. Prepositions: In, At and On
2. Simple Present vs Present Continuous
3. Use of Can and Could with Examples
4. Modals of Ability in English
5. Guide to Using Too and Enough
6. Quantifiers Examples and Exercises
7. The Past Perfect Continuous Tense