English guide
Review alternative past conditions and results using had, would have, could have and passive forms, with original workplace practice and complete explanations.
English AIdol · Published · Updated
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What this guide covers
Compare the explanations and original examples.
Keep the sentence unchanged and justify one option.
Use the distinction in a new workplace sentence.
A third conditional looks back at a completed situation and imagines a different history. If the team had checked the address, the parcel would have reached the correct office contrasts the real missed check with an imagined successful delivery. Both the condition and its result concern the past.
Separate the two verb groups: had + past participle in the condition, and would have + past participle in a typical result. Could have and might have change the strength or kind of result. A present result after a past condition can also be valid, but that is a mixed conditional with a different time relationship.
These original exercises were prepared by English AIdol with AI assistance. A separate AI content review checked every question, answer explanation and teaching section. No human expert or examiner review, ETS endorsement, or calibrated difficulty is claimed. This page does not save answers or estimate an official score.
Part 5 asks you to complete sentences by choosing from four options. The full TOEIC Reading section has 100 questions and a 75-minute limit. This untimed topic lesson is not a complete or equated test. See ETS: About the TOEIC Listening and Reading Test and the ETS: TOEIC Listening & Reading Score User Guide.
Had + past participle describes an imagined earlier condition. The surrounding facts clarify what actually happened.
Would have + past participle gives a typical imagined past result. Do not replace have with had after would.
Not can reverse either the condition or the result. Translate the complete sentence into the real event to check its logic.
Could have can express past ability or opportunity; might have expresses an uncertain imagined outcome. They are not automatically wrong alternatives to would have.
A passive past result uses would have been + past participle. In the condition, had been + past participle can express an earlier passive event.
If the assistant had ___ the attachment, she would have seen the revised schedule.
opened
Had requires the past participle opened in the alternative past condition. Would have seen expresses the imagined past result. The sentence does not claim that she actually opened it.
Choose the option that completes the printed sentence in standard written English. Keep every other word unchanged. Write your choice and a reason before opening the explanation.
If we had ___ the delivery address, the parcel would have reached the correct office yesterday.
(A) check
(B) checked
(C) checking
(D) checks
Answer: (B) checked
Completed sentence: If we had checked the delivery address, the parcel would have reached the correct office yesterday.
If the driver had left earlier, she would have ___ the road closure.
(A) avoid
(B) avoiding
(C) avoids
(D) avoided
Answer: (D) avoided
Completed sentence: If the driver had left earlier, she would have avoided the road closure.
If the manager ___ received the request on Monday, she would have replied before the deadline.
(A) had
(B) having
(C) have
(D) to have
Answer: (A) had
Completed sentence: If the manager had received the request on Monday, she would have replied before the deadline.
The team would ___ finished the installation on Friday if the parts had arrived on time.
(A) had
(B) has
(C) have
(D) having
Answer: (C) have
Completed sentence: The team would have finished the installation on Friday if the parts had arrived on time.
If we had not ___ the receipt, we could have claimed the taxi fare.
(A) lose
(B) lost
(C) losing
(D) loses
Answer: (B) lost
Completed sentence: If we had not lost the receipt, we could have claimed the taxi fare.
If the fault had ___ reported sooner, the unit would have been inspected before shipment.
(A) be
(B) being
(C) was
(D) been
Answer: (D) been
Completed sentence: If the fault had been reported sooner, the unit would have been inspected before shipment.
If the buyer had ___ the quotation carefully, he would have noticed the delivery charge.
(A) read
(B) reads
(C) reading
(D) has read
Answer: (A) read
Completed sentence: If the buyer had read the quotation carefully, he would have noticed the delivery charge.
If we had provided more notice, the caterer could have ___ extra meals for the visitors.
(A) prepare
(B) preparing
(C) prepared
(D) prepares
Answer: (C) prepared
Completed sentence: If we had provided more notice, the caterer could have prepared extra meals for the visitors.
If the alarm had not sounded, the staff would not ___ left the building so quickly.
(A) had
(B) have
(C) has
(D) having
Answer: (B) have
Completed sentence: If the alarm had not sounded, the staff would not have left the building so quickly.
The damaged parcel would have been ___ if the carrier had noticed the torn label.
(A) return
(B) returns
(C) to return
(D) returned
Answer: (D) returned
Completed sentence: The damaged parcel would have been returned if the carrier had noticed the torn label.
If the technician had ___ the backup first, no files would have been lost.
(A) made
(B) make
(C) making
(D) makes
Answer: (A) made
Completed sentence: If the technician had made the backup first, no files would have been lost.
If the vacancy had been advertised earlier, more qualified applicants might have ___.
(A) apply
(B) applying
(C) applied
(D) applies
Answer: (C) applied
Completed sentence: If the vacancy had been advertised earlier, more qualified applicants might have applied.
If the courier had ___ the correct entrance, the delivery would not have been delayed.
(A) find
(B) found
(C) finding
(D) finds
Answer: (B) found
Completed sentence: If the courier had found the correct entrance, the delivery would not have been delayed.
We would have ___ the earlier train if the meeting had ended on schedule.
(A) took
(B) take
(C) taking
(D) taken
Answer: (D) taken
Completed sentence: We would have taken the earlier train if the meeting had ended on schedule.
If the booking had been confirmed, a room would have ___ reserved for the speaker.
(A) been
(B) be
(C) being
(D) was
Answer: (A) been
Completed sentence: If the booking had been confirmed, a room would have been reserved for the speaker.
If the organiser had ___ about the allergy, she would have ordered a different lunch.
(A) knew
(B) know
(C) known
(D) knowing
Answer: (C) known
Completed sentence: If the organiser had known about the allergy, she would have ordered a different lunch.
If the supplier had warned us about the delay, we would have ___ another source.
(A) chose
(B) chosen
(C) choose
(D) choosing
Answer: (B) chosen
Completed sentence: If the supplier had warned us about the delay, we would have chosen another source.
If the invoice had not ___ a duplicate charge, the customer would have paid it immediately.
(A) include
(B) includes
(C) including
(D) included
Answer: (D) included
Completed sentence: If the invoice had not included a duplicate charge, the customer would have paid it immediately.
If the museum had opened on Monday, the visiting team could have ___ the exhibition then.
(A) seen
(B) saw
(C) see
(D) seeing
Answer: (A) seen
Completed sentence: If the museum had opened on Monday, the visiting team could have seen the exhibition then.
If we had booked the larger vehicle, all the equipment would have ___ inside it.
(A) fits
(B) fitting
(C) fitted
(D) to fit
Answer: (C) fitted
Completed sentence: If we had booked the larger vehicle, all the equipment would have fitted inside it.
Explain the distinction in your own words, then try these tasks without copying a practice sentence. The answers illustrate possible responses; alternatives may work where the task allows them.
Imagine a different past: “We did not book ahead, so we paid the higher price.”
If we had booked ahead, we would have paid the lower price.
Both the alternative booking and the alternative payment concern the completed past situation.
Make the result less certain: “If we had advertised earlier, more people would have attended.”
If we had advertised earlier, more people might have attended.
Might have leaves the imagined increase uncertain rather than presenting it as the expected result.
Explain the time difference: “If we had bought the software, we would have finished yesterday” versus “... we would be ready now”.
The first imagines a past result; the second imagines a present result of a different past decision.
The second is a mixed conditional and can be grammatical. Do not label it wrong just because it differs from the third-conditional pattern.
Sources checked on . The examples, questions and explanations are original teaching material, not official or recalled test items. This correction replaces the earlier lesson’s inappropriate IELTS-style scoring. An answer count on these exercises does not convert to an official TOEIC score.
Continue with the TOEIC study page. For a factual correction, see our editorial policy.
The standard teaching pattern uses had + participle in the if-clause and would have + participle in the result. Other informal or special constructions do not make the two positions interchangeable in this pattern.
No. They can express opportunity or uncertainty about the imagined result. Choose according to meaning, not a rule that every result must use would.
No. A mixed conditional can connect an earlier decision with a present consequence. The time reference determines which construction makes sense.
No. These original, untimed teaching questions have not been equated to an ETS form. Use them to explain and practise a language pattern, not to calculate an official score.