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    Unit 11a Unreal Past Forms

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    yesica

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    Unit 11a Unreal Past Forms

    Uploaded by

    yesica
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    Unit 11a Unreal past forms

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    16 views2 pages

    Unit 11a Unreal Past Forms

    Uploaded by

    yesica

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Life

    Advanced Unit 11a


    Unreal past forms

    I wish I was What if I’m asked a


    somewhere else. question I can’t answer?

    If only I’d spent more


    time preparing.

    I’d rather It’s high time


    not do this. somebody turned up!

    Giving a presentation to a large audience is many people’s greatest fear …

    Presentation

    There are a number of structures in English that are We also use would + wish to talk about another person’s
    followed by past tenses which have a present or future annoying habits or unwillingness to do / not do
    meaning. We use these structures to express unreal or something:
    hypothetical situations. I wish / If only she would listen to my presentation
    I wish she wouldn’t talk while I’m speaking.
    would rather / would just as soon
    Notice that we don’t use would if the subjects in both
    We use would rather or would just as soon + subject +
    clauses are the same:
    past tense to express a preference:
    I wish I didn’t live here. (not I wish I wouldn’t live here.)
    I’d rather I didn’t have to do this.
    I’d just as soon you did this instead. what if / supposing / suppose
    It is also possible to use I’d rather and I’d just as soon + We can use what if, supposing and suppose at the
    infinitive without to when there is no change of subject: beginning of a question to ask about the consequences
    I’d rather not do it. (= I’d rather I didn’t do it.) of something:
    However, if the subject changes, we use the past tense: What if you forgot your lines – what would you do?
    I’d rather he didn’t do it. (not I’d rather he not do it.) We can also use these structures to make suggestions:
    Supposing / Suppose they had a new job for you – would
    I wish / If only you accept the offer?
    We use I wish and if only to express regrets and wishes What if is more informal than suppose and supposing.
    for things that are unlikely to happen. If only has a more
    Note: You can use were instead of was, especially in a
    emphatic meaning than I wish:
    formal style:
    I wish / If only you didn’t live so far away.
    I wish I was/were somewhere else.
    We use the past perfect to express regrets about the past:
    Supposing no one was/were to turn up.
    I wish / If only I’d spent more time preparing. (= but I
    didn’t) it’s (high) time
    We use wish + would to express a wish for action – for We use it’s time + subject + past tense to say that
    someone to do something about a situation or for the something needs to be done very soon. We can use high
    situation/action to stop: to add emphasis: It’s (high) time I had a holiday.
    I wish you would help me prepare.

    1 © National Geographic Learning


    Advanced Unit 11a
    Exercises

    Exercises
    1 Match the two halves of the sentence.
    1 I’d rather you   b a invite them this time?
    2 I’d just as   b didn’t invite them.
    3 I’d rather not   c wouldn’t always invite them.
    4 It’s high   d soon you didn’t invite them.
    5 If   e you’d invite them.
    6 I wish   f time we invited them.
    7 I wish she   g only you hadn’t invited them.
    8 What if we didn’t   h we didn’t invite them this time.
    9 Supposing   i invite them.
    10 I   j wish you hadn’t invited them.
    2 Rewrite the first sentence so it has the same meaning, using the word given.
    1 I’d rather we all left together.
    soon I’d just as soon we all left together.
    2 I’d rather I didn’t have to give this presentation.
    not this presentation.
    3 I wish they hadn’t asked me that question.
    only me that question.
    4 Can you tell them to stop shouting?
    wish stop shouting.
    5 It’s so annoying when he interrupts.
    wouldn’t interrupt.
    6 What are the consequences of me leaving early today?
    what if early today?
    7 What if your car breaks down?
    supposing breaks down.
    8 I really need to take some time off work soon.
    time some time off from work.
    3 Complete the sentences so they are true for you.
    1 This week I’d rather .
    2 I wish .
    3 What if I .
    4 Supposing .
    5 It’s high time I .

    2 © National Geographic Learning

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