A missed appointment · Building the third conditional

Application goal: Building the third conditional.

Use if with had and a past participle, followed by would have and a past participle, to imagine a different result in a finished past situation.

Context: A missed appointment. Identify the wording that achieves this goal, then adapt the details to a situation of your own.

Practical examples

If I had checked the address carefully, I would not have gone to the wrong building.

لو تحققت من العنوان بعناية، لما ذهبت إلى المبنى الخطأ.

I would have arrived on time if I had taken the earlier bus.

لكنت وصلت في الموعد لو استقللت الحافلة السابقة.

Unfortunately, I relied on a message that was several months old.

للأسف، اعتمدت على رسالة تعود إلى عدة أشهر.

Check your understanding

1. Choose the closest Arabic meaning of this expression: If I had checked the address carefully, I would not have gone to the wrong building.لو تحققت من العنوان بعناية، لما ذهبت إلى المبنى الخطأ.أصبحت مرحلة الموافقة نقطة اختناق؛ إذ يصل إليها العمل أسرع مما يمكن إصدار القرارات بشأنه.أرسلت ملاحظات الاجتماع إلى الفريق بعد ذلك.أخبر المختص بما يساعدك على السمع واطلب المعلومات المهمة كتابيًا.

2. Choose the English expression that matches this meaning: للأسف، اعتمدت على رسالة تعود إلى عدة أشهر.I have studied it regularly for about two years.Would you like coffee after the workshop?We have enough coffee, but there are only a few cups.Unfortunately, I relied on a message that was several months old.