Entry # 10: Section 4 - Grammar

UNREAL PAST

WISH OR IF ONLY

Wish and ‘If only’ are both used to talk about regrets.  things that we would like to change either about the past or the present.

Talking about the present

• If only I didn’t have so much homework I could go to the concert tonight. She has a lot of homework and she can’t go to the concert.
• I wish you didn’t live so far away.
• I wish I knew what to do.

ITS HIGHT TIME

It's (high) time + past subjunctive expresses that something should be done and that it is already a bit late:

• It's time you went to bed. You'll have to get up early tomorrow.
• When we say that the right time has arrived for something and we are still in time, we can use the following patterns:
• It's time (for you) to go to bed.

WOULD RATHER

Would rather is used to express a preference in English. Would rather is the same in meaning as would prefer. These two phrases are used interchangeably to express a preference when making a choice. Here are some examples of short conversations that use would rather to either state or ask for a preference.

Structure

The form would rather is a little strange because 'rather' is not a verb but is part of an expression that means 'would prefer to'. 'Rather' is usually immediately followed by averb in base form (verb without 'to'). It's common to use would rather in the shortened 'd rather form in positive statements. All subjects take 'would rather'.Would rather can be used to refer to the present moment or a future moment in time.

WHAT IF OR SUPPOSE

We use "suppose that", "supposing that" and "what if" to talk abot the imaginary situations. We just imagine the opposite of the current situation and want to guess or learn possible results of this imaginary situation.

• Suppose that you failed the test, what would you do then?
• Suppose that hadn't bought that car, what else would you have done with your money?
• Suppose we miss the train - what will we do then?
• Supposing that I lost all the money, what would you do?

Resources for practice about it:

• http://www.edufind.com/english-grammar/unreal-past/
• http://www.englishpedia.net/my-grammar/advanced/if-clauses/suppose-that-what-if-grammar-lesson.html
• http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-reference/wish-and-if-only