Conditionals; Other Ways to Express Unreality
Experiences of an International Traveler
9
Focus on Grammar 5Part IX, Unit 23By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ WellsCopyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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 have been delayed.
If I had more money, I
would stay at better hotels.
Real ConditionalsReal conditionals are sentences that describe situations that occur regularly or are likely or possible in the future.
If we don’t get to the station on time, the train will leave without us.
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.
Unreal ConditionalsUnreal conditionals are sentences that describe situations 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, could, or might plus the
base 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.
He didn’t travel with a map, so he got lost.
Present Unreal ConditionalsUse the simple past in the if clause. If the verb is be, use were for all persons. Use could, might, 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.
Past Unreal ConditionalsUse the past unreal conditional for past unreal, untrue, imagined, or impossible conditions and their unreal results. Use the past perfect in the if clause. Use could, might, or would + 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 a map, so he got lost.
Where’s my wallet?
If he had been more careful, he might have noticed his
wallet was missing.
Practice 1Look at the chart and complete the conditionals with your own ideas.
Real Unreal Past Unreal
If + simple present
AND
simple present
If + simple present
AND
will + base form verb
If + simple past
AND
would/could/might
+ base form verb
If + past perfect
AND
would/could/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.
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.
Wish 1
Use wish + could / would + base form to express 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.
Wish 2
Use wish + the simple past to express a wish about the present.
I wish I caught an
earlier flight. I wish I had more leg
room.
Wish 3
I wish I hadn’t eaten that
airplane food.
The man ate the airplane food.
Use wish + the past perfect to express a wish about the past.
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 hope 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.
If Only
If only 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.
PresentFuture
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.
1. 2. 3.
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and its licensors. All rights reserved.
References
