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Theory Unreal Time

The document discusses various uses of unreal tenses and subjunctives in English. It explains: 1) "It's time" and "It's high time" are followed by past tense verbs to refer to unreal present or future times. 2) "Wish", "would", and "as if/as though" take past tense verbs to talk about unreal present or future situations and wishes. 3) "I'd rather" and "suppose" can also take past tense verbs to suggest unreal preferences or imagined scenarios. 4) Formal subjunctives are used after verbs like "demand" and "insist" to imply obligations, using the infinitive

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Victoria Colesnic
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185 views

Theory Unreal Time

The document discusses various uses of unreal tenses and subjunctives in English. It explains: 1) "It's time" and "It's high time" are followed by past tense verbs to refer to unreal present or future times. 2) "Wish", "would", and "as if/as though" take past tense verbs to talk about unreal present or future situations and wishes. 3) "I'd rather" and "suppose" can also take past tense verbs to suggest unreal preferences or imagined scenarios. 4) Formal subjunctives are used after verbs like "demand" and "insist" to imply obligations, using the infinitive

Uploaded by

Victoria Colesnic
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Explanations

It's time It's time, it's high time


These are followed by past simple or continuous, though the time referred to is
unreal. See Grammar 8.
It's time we left. It's high time I was going.
Wishes Present/future time
Notice the past verb forms after wish.
These are wishes where you want to change a present/future state.
I wish I had a motorbike. (I don't have one now.)
/ wish you weren't leaving. (You are leaving.)
/ wish I was going on holiday with you next week. (I am not going.)
Would
Would is used when the speaker wants somebody or something else to
change.
/ wish he would change his mind and marry Jane.
I wish it would stop raining.
The use with would is often used to describe an annoying habit.
/ wish you wouldn't make such a mess.
Past time
As with present wishes, the verb form after wish is one stage further back in
the past. These are wishes referring to a past event, which cannot be
changed.
/ wish I hadn't eaten so much.
This use of wish is common after if only to express regrets. See Grammar 8.
Hope
Wishes about simple future events are expressed with hope.
I hope it doesn't (won't) rain tomorrow.
I hope you('ll) have a lovely time in Portugal (on your holiday next week).
I'd rather/I prefer I'd rather is followed by past verb forms in the same way as wishes about the
(followed by a present. It expresses preference about actions.
clause) I'd rather you didn't smoke in here.
Both I'd rather and I'd sooner are used with normal verb forms when
comparing nouns or phrases.
I'd rather be a sailor than a soldier, (present)
I'd rather have lived in Ancient Greece than Ancient Rome, (past)

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G R A M M A R 9 U N R E A L TI ME A ND S U B J U N C T I V E S

I'd prefer can be used in the same way, but note that prefer in this type of
sentence has an object it.
I'd prefer it if you didn't go.
However, I'd prefer is not followed by an unreal verb form in other situations.
I'd prefer tea to coffee.
I'd prefer you to go swimming (rather than go jogging).
As if, as though Real and unreal
The verb form here depends on whether the situation is true or unreal.
You look as if you're having second thoughts. (True. He is having second
thoughts.)
He acts as if he were in charge. (Unreal. He isn't in charge.)
/ feel as if an express train had hit me. (It didn't hit me.)
Note however, that the more colloquial like does not require this verb form
change. Compare:
You look like you've just seen a ghost
You look as if you'd just seen a ghost.
Suppose and Understood conditions
imagine The conditional part of these sentences is often understood but not stated.
Imagine we won the pools!
Suppose someone told you that I was a spy!
Imagine we'd never met! (we have met)
As with conditional sentences, if the event referred to is a real possibility, rather
than imaginary, a present verb form is possible:
Suppose it starts raining, what'll we do?
Formal Insisting, demanding etc
Subjunctives After verbs such as demand, insist, suggest, require which involve an implied
obligation, the subjunctive may be used in formal style. This has only one
form, that of the infinitive, and there is no third person -5, or past form. The
verb be has be for all forms.
They demanded that he leave at once.
The school Principal suggested that he be awarded a scholarship.
Less formal usage
Less formally, should can be used, and colloquially no verb form change is
made, or an infinitive construction is used.
They demanded that he should leave.
They demanded that he left, (informal)
Formulaic These are fixed expressions all using subjunctive. Typical expressions are:
Subjunctives God save the Queen!
Be that as it may ...
Come what may ...

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