Imagine if China had been the first country to industrialise and modernise.
How different would the world look? What culture would be dominant? How would history have changed? Would technology and industry still be recognisable?
In order to talk about this, and similar topics focused on unreal situations in the past, we need to understand and know how to use the third conditional grammar.
Let’s practise the third conditional grammar and learn about the alternative history of China at the same time!
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Grammar Lesson
The third conditional is used to talk about unreal situations in the past. It describes a condition that did not happen and its possible result, which also did not happen.
It’s like imagining a different version of past events, thinking about “what could have been” if things had happened differently.
I studied my master’s degree at a university called SOAS in London, and while in London I met my wife at a language event. However, I was very close to studying in a different city and at a different university. I would not have been in London, and I would not have met my wife.
I often think about how my life would have been different. If I had studied somewhere else, I would have lived a very different life.
This conditional form, the third conditional, is very useful for expressing regrets, hypothetical past situations, and missed opportunities.
Here is how we form the third conditional:
- If clause (conditional clause): This part of the sentence starts with “if” and is followed by the past perfect tense (had + past participle). For example, If it had rained yesterday….
- Result clause (main clause): This part of the sentence uses “would have” followed by the past participle of the verb. For example, we would have stayed home.
- If Clause + Result Clause = If it had rained yesterday, we would have stayed home.
Here are some more examples:
- If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.
- This means that I didn’t study harder, so I didn’t pass the exam. However, I’m imagining the past and I’m thinking that I could have passed the exam if I tried studying harder.
- If she had left earlier, she would have caught the train.
- This means that she didn’t leave earlier, so she didn’t catch the train. We are now imagining how it would have been different if she had left earlier.
- If they had invited me, I would have gone to the party.
- This means that they didn’t invite me, so I didn’t go to the party.
Remember, the third conditional is used for unreal or hypothetical situations in the past. The condition refers to something that did not happen. The result is what would have happened if the condition had been met.
If China Had Been the First Country to Industrialise…
One of my favourite ways of using the third conditional is talking about “alternative history.”
I actually took a political science class as an undergraduate with an excellent professor who wanted to encourage his students to think in unconventional ways. One of the topics he introduced was using alternative history and thought experiments to gain insight into the real history and reality.
Alternative history questions include things like….
What would have happened if the USA never joined in with WW2? How different would music be if the Beatles never formed? If the internet had never been invented, how would we communicate today?
I’ll pose some of these questions for you at the end of the episode, but this episode is going to talk about how the world would have been different if China had been the first country to industrialise.
I’ve actually recorded a main episode on this topic before. Many historians believe China was very close to industrialising before Britain and Europe during the Song dynasty, but never quite made it. What would have happened if they actually did?
This is my opinion, my perspective, on this question!
If China had been the first country to industrialise, the history of the world would have been dramatically different. For one, global trade routes and economic powerhouses would have shifted dramatically.
If China had developed advanced industrial technologies before Europe, the Silk Road might have remained the dominant trade route, facilitating the flow of goods, culture, and ideas between East and West even more extensively. Rather than Europe being considered the centre of global trade and finance from the 17th until the early 20th centuries, it would have been Asia that was at the centre of everything.
Moreover, if China had led the industrial revolution, the spread of industrialization to neighbouring Asian countries might have occurred much earlier. Many Asian countries and neighbours of China were invaded and colonised by Europeans. Vietnam was taken by the French, Malaysia by the British, Indonesia by the Dutch, and so on.
This early industrialization could have prevented the colonisation of many Asian nations, as they would have been economically and technologically strong enough to resist European powers. As a result, the geopolitical landscape of Asia and the world would have been vastly different.
If Chinese innovations and inventions had been at the forefront of the industrial era, we would have seen a different technological progression. Chinese advancements in areas such as papermaking, printing, and gunpowder could have laid the foundation for new technologies, altering the development of modern machinery and manufacturing processes. Consequently, Western countries would have adopted and adapted Chinese technologies, leading to a unique blend of Eastern and Western industrial practices.
Culturally, if China had industrialised first, its influence on global culture and societal norms would have been more profound. Confucian values and philosophies might have shaped the work ethic and organisational structures in a global context.
If you pick up a book on philosophy right now, the chances are it will be focusing on European philosophers – the Ancient Greek masters, Roman stoics, and then more modern thinkers from France, Germany, and the UK. If China had industrialised first, it is likely you would be picking up books on Confucius, Mencius, and Sun Tzu.
Additionally, Mandarin could have become the primary language of international trade and diplomacy, much like English is today. There is a high probability that if China had been a global power like England once was, then you all would be listening to Thinking in Mandarin instead of Thinking in English.
In terms of environmental impact, if China had pioneered industrialization, the focus on sustainable practices could have emerged sooner. Traditional Chinese practices that emphasise harmony with nature might have influenced industrial methods, potentially reducing the environmental degradation that accompanied the industrial revolution in Europe.
Overall, if China had been the first country to industrialise, the global balance of power, technological advancements, cultural exchanges, and environmental approaches would have evolved in ways that we can only imagine.
By thinking hypothetically in the past, considering alternative histories, we can experience completely different worlds and perhaps learn something about the current world.
Final Thought
Today I’ve introduced you all to the third conditional grammar. We use this grammar to talk about unreal situations in the past.
After explaining how to form and use the third conditional, I tried to demonstrate the grammar by talking about alternative history thought experiments. More specifically, I tried to imagine how different the world would be if China had been the first country to industrialise.
Now you have listened to this episode and grammar lesson, let’s practise your English!
- What would have happened if the Roman Empire had never fallen?
- If the Industrial Revolution had started in Africa instead of Europe, what impact would it have had on colonisation and global trade?
- If the Berlin Wall had never fallen, how would Europe’s geopolitical landscape look today?
- How might society have developed if women had gained suffrage earlier in history, say in ancient civilizations?
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