9 conditionals other ways to express unreality

8/18/2019 9 Conditionals Other Ways to Express Unreality

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Conditionals; Other

Ways to Express

Unreality

Experiences of an

International Traveler

9

Focus on Grammar 5

Part IX, Unit 23

By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ WellsCopyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.


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Tired Traveler

If only I had

found a taxi.

I wish I

could brush

my teeth

right now.

If the airport

hadn’t lost my

luggage, I

wouldn’t havebeen delayed.

If I had more

money, Iwould stay at

better hotels.


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Real Conditionals

Real conditionals are sentences that describe situations that occur regularly or are likely orpossible in the future.

If we don’t get to the station on time, the train will leave withoutus.

In present-time

situations, use the simple

present in both clauses

to describe habitual or

regularly occurring

actions.

In future-time

situations, use the

simple present in the if

clause and the future

with will or be going to in the result clause.

If I don’t put sunscreen

on, I get a bad sunburn.


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Unreal Conditionals

Unreal conditionals are sentences that describesituations that are untrue, unlikely, or impossible in the

present or the past.

In present-time

situations, use the

simple past in the

if clause and

would, cou ld, or

migh t plus thebase form of the

verb in the result

clause.

If I had enough

money, I would

visit Paris.

She doesn’t have enough

money and she won’t

visit Paris.


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He didn’t travel with amap, so he got lost.

Present Unreal Conditionals

Use the simple past in the if clause. If the verb is be ,use were for all persons. Use could , migh t , or would

+ base form in the result clause.

If I were a better planner I

wouldn’t travel without a map.

Where’s my wallet?

If he were more careful, he would notice that his

wallet was missing.


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Past Unreal Conditionals

Use the past unreal conditional for past unreal, untrue, imagined, orimpossible conditions and their unreal results. Use the past perfect in the

if clause. Use cou ld , migh t , or wou ld + have + past participle in the

result clause.

If I had looked at a map, I

wouldn’t have gotten lost.

He didn’t look at amap, so he got lost.

Where’s my wallet?

If he had been more careful,

he might have noticed his

wallet was missing.


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Practice 1Look at the chart and complete

the conditionals with your own

ideas.

Real Unreal Past Unreal

If + simple present

ANDsimple present

If + simple present

ANDwil l + base form verb

If + simple past

AND

would /cou ld /might

+ base form verb

If + past perfect

AND

would /cou ld /might

+ have

+ past participle verb

Examples:

If I had enough money, …

If I have enough money, …

If I had had a lot of money,…

I would travel to Asia.

I will travel to Asia.

I would have traveled to Asia.


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1. If I visit Europe, …

2. … , I might not have gotten sick.

3. If we took an airplane,…

4. If we had made reservations, …

5. … , I would learn Russian.


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Wish 1

Use wish + cou ld / would + base form toexpress a wish about the future.

I wish that baby

would stop crying.

This is what he wants, but

he is not sure if the baby

will change his behavior.


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Wish 2

Use wish + the simple past to express awish about the present.

I wish I

caught an

earlier flight. I wish I had more leg

room.


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Hope and Wish

Don’t confuse hope and wish .

I hope I get to the plane

on time.

I wish (that) I

didn’t have so

much luggage.

Use hop e to

express a desire

about events that

are possible or

probable.

Use wish to express

regrets about things

that are unlikely or

impossible to change.


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If On ly

If on ly can also be used to express wishes.

If only they wouldn’t

leave me here for the

rest of my life.

If only they

could see me.

Present

Future


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Practice 2Use the pictures to make

statements using wish and if only.

Make statements about the

present, future, and past.

I wish I could take

the bus.

Example:

If only I’d make

my flight.

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9 conditionals other ways to express unreality

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