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UNREAL TIME

The document explains the use of various grammatical structures to express hypothetical situations and preferences, including conditionals, 'as if/as though', and 'wish/if only'. It highlights how these structures can refer to the present, future, or past scenarios that did not occur. Additionally, it provides examples to illustrate the correct usage of these forms in different contexts.

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Natalka Dymowska
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17 views

UNREAL TIME

The document explains the use of various grammatical structures to express hypothetical situations and preferences, including conditionals, 'as if/as though', and 'wish/if only'. It highlights how these structures can refer to the present, future, or past scenarios that did not occur. Additionally, it provides examples to illustrate the correct usage of these forms in different contexts.

Uploaded by

Natalka Dymowska
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNREAL TIME

Sometimes we use the past simple and continuous to refer to the present, the future or a
general situation, and the past perfect simple and continuous to refer to a hypothetical past
that didn’t actually happen.

conditionals

What would you do if you won a million pounds?


If I had known, I would have taken some dollars with me.

imagine/what if/suppose/supposing

What if you were walking down the street and you suddenly found a wallet?
Imagine you had won the lottery last night.

as if/as though

For current, future or general untrue, hypothetical comparisons

She acts as if/though she was/were a millionaire.


Colin acts as if/though he was/were rolling in money.

For past untrue, hypothetical comparisons

Tony looks as if/though someone had just handed him a million euros.
It’s almost as if/though they’d been working for free.

it’s (high/about) time

To suggest that something should be done now or in the immediate future

It’s (high/about) time I got a mortgage.


It’s (high/about) time we were leaving.

Note also:

It’s (high/about) time to think about getting a loan.


It’s (high/about) time for you to think about getting a loan.

would rather/sooner

For current, general or future preference

Jan would rather/sooner we bought a house than carried on renting.


Would you rather/sooner I was begging in the streets?

For past preference

We’d rather/sooner you hadn’t lent Peter the money.


wish/if only

Wishes about now, the future or generally

Do you wish you had a bigger house?


If only I was earning a reasonable salary.

Wishes about the past

If only I’d bought a lottery ticket this morning.


Carla wishes she’d been keeping a closer eye on her investments.

Other structures with wish/if only

To criticise other people or wish for a situation to be different

I wish they would offer me a pay rise.


If only it would stop raining.

Wishes about ability or permission

I wish I could find a job that pays well.


If only I could have got a mortgage with a fixed interest rate.

Watch out!

We do not use would when the subject of wish is the same as the subject of would.

I wish I would earn more.

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