Breakdown of Se gli spettatori avessero scoperto il segreto, non sarebbero stati sorpresi.
essere
to be
non
not
avere
to have
il segreto
the secret
se
if
scoprire
to discover
sorpreso
surprised
lo spettatore
the viewer
Questions & Answers about Se gli spettatori avessero scoperto il segreto, non sarebbero stati sorpresi.
How does the Third Conditional structure work in this specific sentence?
The Third Conditional expresses an impossible situation in the past (something that didn't happen). The se (if) clause uses the pluperfect subjunctive (avessero scoperto), which translates to "had discovered." The result clause uses the past conditional (non sarebbero stati sorpresi), meaning "would not have been surprised."
Why does the se clause use the auxiliary avere (avessero) but the main clause uses essere (sarebbero)?
The auxiliary verb depends on the main verb of each specific clause. Scoprire (to discover) is a transitive verb that takes a direct object (il segreto), so it requires avere. The second clause uses the verb essere (to be) to form "have been surprised," and essere always uses itself as its auxiliary in compound tenses.
Could I just say non sarebbero sorpresi instead of non sarebbero stati sorpresi?
No, because sarebbero sorpresi is the present conditional, meaning "they would be surprised" (right now). To express the past consequence "they wouldn't have been surprised", you must use the past conditional, which requires the conditional of the auxiliary (sarebbero) plus the past participle (stati).
Why do both stati and sorpresi end in -i?
Whenever a compound tense is formed with the auxiliary essere, the past participle must agree in gender and number with the subject. Since the subject is gli spettatori (masculine plural), both the participle of the verb 'to be' (stato) and the adjective/participle (sorpreso) must take the masculine plural ending -i.
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