Difference between “Would have” and “Could have” – Third Conditional

The third conditional is a complex grammar structure used in English to talk about hypothetical or imaginary situations that could have happened in the past.

Grammar pattern:

if + past perfect, would/could + have + past participle

Understanding the differences between “would have” and “could have” in the third conditional can be very challenging for English learners.

In this mini-lesson I’ll break down the grammar patterns and meanings of “would have” and “could have” in the third conditional, and provide examples to help you understand their usage.

“Would have” is used to describe a hypothetical or imaginary situation in the past that did not actually happen. It implies that the result was not possible or likely to happen, regardless of what might have been done. For example:

If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
If I had known you were coming, I would have baked a cake.

In both examples, “would have” suggests that the speaker didn’t pass the exam or bake a cake because they didn’t study hard enough or didn’t know about the visit, respectively.

On the other hand, “could have” is used to suggest that the result was possible or could have happened if something had been done differently. For example:

If I had studied harder, I could have passed the exam.
If I had known you were coming, I could have baked a cake.

In both examples, “could have” suggests that passing the exam or baking a cake was a possibility if the speaker had done something differently, such as studying harder or knowing about the visit in advance.

To make it easier to understand, let’s compare the grammar patterns and meanings of “would have” and “could have” in the third conditional in a table:

Meaning	Modal	Examples
Hypothetical or imaginary situation in the past that did not actually happen. Implies that the result was not possible or likely to happen, regardless of what might have been done.	would have Third Conditional	If I had arrived earlier, I would have caught the train. If he had studied harder, he would have passed the exam.
Suggests that the result was possible or could have happened if something had been done differently.	could have Third Conditional	If I had known you were coming, I could have baked a cake. If she had practiced more, she could have won the competition.

In conclusion, mastering the differences between “would have” and “could have” in the third conditional is crucial for communicating effectively in English. By using these two modal verbs correctly, you can express regret, speculate about what could have happened, and talk about hypothetical situations in the past with greater precision and accuracy.

If you are still confused, you can find an easy explanation in your first language 🇪🇸 🇵🇹 🇨🇳 🇷🇺 🇺🇦 🇹🇷 🇯🇵👇

🇪🇸 Spanish

Significado	Estructura Gramatical	Ejemplos
Situación hipotética o imaginaria en el pasado que no ocurrió en realidad. Implica que el resultado no era posible o probable que sucediera, independientemente de lo que se hubiera hecho.	would + have + participio pasado	Si hubiera llegado antes, habría cogido el tren. Si hubiera estudiado más, habría aprobado el examen.
Sugiere que el resultado era posible o podría haber sucedido si algo se hubiera hecho de manera diferente.	could + have + participio pasado	Si hubiera sabido que venías, podría haber horneado un pastel. Si ella hubiera practicado más, podría haber ganado la competición.

🇵🇹 Portuguese

Significado	Estrutura Gramatical	Exemplos
Situação hipotética ou imaginária no passado que não ocorreu na realidade. Implica que o resultado não era possível ou provável que acontecesse, independentemente do que tivesse sido feito.	condicional perfeito (would + have + particípio passado)	Se eu tivesse chegado mais cedo, teria pego o trem. Se eu tivesse estudado mais, teria passado no exame.
Sugere que o resultado era possível ou poderia ter acontecido se algo tivesse sido feito de forma diferente.	condicional perfeito (could + have + particípio passado)	Se eu soubesse que você vinha, poderia ter assado um bolo. Se ela tivesse praticado mais, poderia ter ganhado a competição.

🇨🇳 Chinese

意义	语法结构	例子
过去的虚拟或想象情境，实际上并没有发生。无论做了什么，结果都不可能或不太可能发生。	如果 + 过去完成时，would + have + 过去分词	如果我早到一点，就能赶上那班火车了。如果我多学一点，就能通过考试了。
表达某个结果在过去是可能或本来可以发生的，只要当时有做出不同的行动或做出了不同的选择。	如果 + 过去完成时，could + have + 过去分词	如果我知道你要来，我本来可以烤一个蛋糕的。如果她多练习一点，她本来可以赢得比赛的。

🇷🇺 Russian

начение	Грамматическая конструкция	Примеры
Гипотетическая или вымышленная ситуация в прошлом, которая на самом деле не произошла. Подразумевает, что результат не был возможен или вероятен, независимо от того, что было сделано.	Если + прошедшее совершенное время, would + have + прошедшее причастие	Если бы я пришёл раньше, я бы успел на поезд. Если бы я больше учился, я бы сдал экзамен.
Подразумевает, что результат был возможен или мог произойти, если бы что-то было сделано по-другому.	Если + прошедшее совершенное время, could + have + прошедшее причастие	Если бы я знал, что ты идёшь, я мог бы испечь торт. Если бы она больше тренировалась, она могла бы выиграть соревнование.

🇺🇦 Ukrainian

начення	Граматична конструкція	Приклади
Гіпотетична або уявна ситуація в минулому, яка насправді не трапилася. Підтверджує, що результат не був можливим або ймовірним, незалежно від того, що було зроблено.	якщо + минулий доконаний час, would + have + минулий дієприкметник	Якби я прийшов раніше, я би встиг на потяг. Якби я більше вчився, я би здав іспит.
Підтверджує, що результат був можливим або міг статися, якби щось було зроблено по-іншому.	якщо + минулий доконаний час, could + have + минулий дієприкметник	Якби я знав, що ти йдеш, я міг би спекти торт. Якби вона більше тренувалася, вона могла б виграти змагання.

🇹🇷 Turkish

Anlam	Dilbilgisi Yapısı	Örnekler
Gerçekleşmeyen hayali ya da varsayımsal bir durum. Sonucun gerçekleşmesinin mümkün ya da olası olmadığını ima eder.	Eğer + geçmiş zaman, would + have + V3	Eğer önceden gelmiş olsaydım, trene yetişirdim. Daha fazla çalışmış olsaydım, sınavı geçerdim.
Sonucun gerçekleşmesinin mümkün ya da olası olduğunu, farklı bir şey yapılsaydı gerçekleşebileceğini ima eder.	Eğer + geçmiş zaman, could + have + V3	Sen geldiğini söyleseydin, bir pasta yapabilirdim. Daha fazla çalışmış olsaydı, yarışmayı kazanabilirdi.

🇯🇵 Japanese

意味	文法パターン	例
実際には起こらなかった過去の仮想的または想像上の状況。結果が実現する可能性がなかった、あるいは起こらなかったことを示す。	if + 過去完了形、would + have + 過去分詞	もし前に着いていたら、電車に乗れたのに。もしもっと勉強していたら、試験に合格できたのに。
結果が可能であったり、何かが異なっていれば実現できたと示唆する。	if + 過去完了形、could + have + 過去分詞	君が来ると言ってくれたら、ケーキを焼いていたのに。彼女がもっと練習していたら、競技会に勝てたのに。