New English File Advanced - Unit 3 - adapted Unreal uses of the past advanced level

1. Discuss these sentences
• When Bill and I got married, his attitude to money
amused me.
• If Bill got promoted, our standard of living would go up.
• I wish we were better off.
• I was so jealous when I heard about Carol’s weekend in
New York.
• I think it’s time we thought about moving to a bigger
house.
• I’d rather my daughters married a man with money.
• I wish I’d married my first boyfriend!
• If I’d married Sean, I would have a much better standard
of living.

2. Which one are really about the past?
• When Bill and I got married, his attitude to money
amused me.
• PAST
• If Bill got promoted, our standard of living would go up.
• (a hypothetical) FUTURE
• I wish we were better off.
• (a hypothetical) PRESENT
• I was so jealous when I heard about Carol’s weekend
in New York.
• PAST

3. Which one are really about the past?
• I think it’s time we thought about moving to a bigger
house.
• (a hypothetical) PRESENT
• I’d rather my daughters married a man with money.
• (a hypothetical) FUTURE
• I wish I’d married my first boyfriend!
• (a hypothetical) PAST
• If I’d married Sean, I would have a much better standard
of living.
• (a hypothetical) PAST

4. 3C unreal uses of past tenses
We use wish + past simple to talk about things we would like to be
different in the present/future (but which are impossible or unlikely).
We use wish + past perfect to talk about things which
happened/didn’t happen in the past and which we now regret.
It’s a difficult problem. I wish I knew the answer to it!
I wish I hadn’t spoken to Jane like that – you know how sensitive she is.
We sometimes use that after wish, e.g. I wish that I knew the answer.

5. 3C unreal uses of past tenses
You can also use If only… instead of wish with the past simple and past
perfect. This can be used by itself (If only I knew!) or with another clause.
If only I knew the answer!
If only you hadn’t forgotten the map, we’d be there by now.
If only is more emphatic than wish.
! When we want to talk about things we want to happen or stop
happening because they annoy us, we use wish or If only +
person/thing + would + infinitive, e.g. I wish the bus would come! If
only he wouldn’t keep whistling when I’m working!

6. Wish / if only
• The tense usage with wish and if only is similar
to the second and third conditionals. Unreality is
expressed by a tense shift.
• PRESENT
• Past Simple:
• I wish I knew the answer. (= I don’t know)
• I wish I was /were better at sports. (= I'm not)

7. Wish / If only + tenses
• PRESENT
• Past Continuous:
• I wish I was /were going with you. (= I'm not)
• Could:
• I wish I could give you an answer. (= I can't)
• FUTURE
• Would : I wish you would be quiet. (but you will
keep on talking.)

8. Wish / if only
• PAST
• Past Perfect
• I wish I had known you then. (= but I didn't)
• Could have
• I wish I could have explained. (= I wasn't
able to)

9. 3C unreal uses of past tenses
We use would rather + subject + past tense to express a preference.
I’d rather you left your dog outside – I’m allergic to animals.
Are you sure this is a good time to talk? Would you rather I called back
later?
We can also use would rather + infinitive without to when there is no
change of subject, e.g. I’d rather not talk about it. However, we
cannot use this structure when the subject changes after would
rather, e.g.
I’d rather you didn’t talk about it. NOT I’d rather you not talk about
it.

10. 3C unreal uses of past tenses
We use the past simple after It’s time + subject to say that
something has to be done now or in the near future. We
sometimes use high before time for emphasis.
Don’t you think it’s time you found a job? It’s six months since
you finished university!
It’s (high) time the government did something about
unemployment.
We can also use It’s time + to + infinitive when we don’t want to
specify the subject, e.g. It’s time to go now.
GrammarLab Unit 58

11. Wishes and regrets
• I regret missing the concert.
• I regret to inform you that your
application for the job was unsuccessful.
• Same? Different? How?
• I wish to thank you…