UNREAL PAST

1. Isabel Bastida & Ana Mena

2. I WISH / IF ONLY ....
past simple to express a desire for something to be different in the
present:
I wish I wasn’t in the red.
If only I could set some money aside to travel more often.
part prefect to express a wish that something different had
happened in the past ( a regret / criticism):
I wish I hadn’t spent a fortune on that smartwatch.
could to express a desire we know is impossible to achieve, often
about ourselves:
I wish I could swim but I’m terrified of water!
would usually expresses a desire for someone to change their
behaviour in the present or future. We often use it to criticise or
complain about something:
I wish you would stop throwing your money at things you don’t
really need.
We can also use this pattern with inanimate subjects for
emphasis:
If only the sun would come out so we could take the photos.

3. I speak terrible English. I
wish I ______ English
well.

4. I miss my friends. I
wish my friends ______
here right now.

5. If only I _______ more
time for my hobbies.

6. I wish I _______ drunk
and kissed Samantha last
night.

7. I wish you _____ drink so
much. You're a complete idiot
when you're drunk.

8. I wish I _____ her
she'd put on weight. She
hates me now.

9. *IT’S (HIGH / ABOUT) TIME ...
To express that something is not happening but it should
be:
It’s time you stopped splashing your money out!
The use of HIGH or ABOUT makes the sentence more
emphatic:
It’s high time you started saving for a rainy day.
You may use TO INF as well:
It’s time for our company to expand

10. *WHAT IF / SUPPOSE / SUPPOSING / IMAGINE ...
To ask about imaginary situations and their consequences
in the present or future. These are similar to second
conditional questions:
What if you won the lottery?
Suppose you were rich, where in the world would you buy
a house?
Imagine a cash dispenser ate your credit card, how would
you react?
We can also use these expressions with past perfect. This is similar
to third conditional:
Supposing you had invested in that company, what benefits would
you have obtained?

11. *WOULD RATHER / WOULD SOONER...
To express preferences:
I’d rather you paid me back before Tuesday.
I’m broke.
She’d sooner I inherited the ranch.
If the person expressing the preference is also
the subject of the preference, use INFINITIVE
without TO:
I’d rather not pay in cash, if you don’t mind.

12. *AS IF / AS THOUGH ...
To say that appearance is different from
reality:
She behaves as if she was made of money.
Peter spends money as though it grew on trees.
Use the present simple/ present perfect with
these expressions when the situation may be
true:
It looks as if you have spent all your money on
this new bag.