Text: 10 Poisonous Foods we like to eat

Grammar: Conditional sentence 2 (If I knew... I wish I knew...)

Study this example situation:

Sarah wants to phone Paul, but she can't do this because she doesn't know his number. She says:

If I knew his number, I would phone him. Sarah says: If I knew his number.... This tells us that she doesn't know his number. She is imagining the situation. The real situation is that she doesn't know his number.

When you imagine a situation like this, you use if + past (if I knew / if you were / if we didn't etc.). But the meaning is present, not past:

Tom would read more if he had more time, (but he doesn't have much time)

If I didn't want to go to the party, I wouldn't go. (but I want to go)

We wouldn't have any money if we didn't work, (but we work)

If you were in my position, what would you do?

It's a pity you can't drive. It would be useful if you could.

We use the past in the same way after wish (I wish I knew /1 wish you were etc.). We use wish to say that we regret something, that something is not as we would like it to be:

I wish I knew Paul's phone number. (= I don't know it and I regret this)

Do you ever wish you could fly?

It's very crowded here. I wish there weren't so many people, (there are a lot of people)

I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow, but unfortunately I do.

I wish I had an umbrella.

If I were / if I was

After if and wish, you can use were instead of was (if I were...II wish it were etc.). I was / it was are also possible. So you can say:

If I were you, I wouldn't buy that coat. or If I was you,...

I'd go out if it weren't so cold. or... if it wasn't so cold.

I wish Carol were here. or I wish Carol was here.

We do not normally use would in the, if part of the sentence or after wish: If I were rich, I would have a yacht, {not If I would be rich)

I wish I had something to read, {not I wish I would have)

Sometimes wish... would is possible: I wish you would listen.

Could sometimes means 'would be able to' and sometimes 'was/were able to': You could get a better job (you could get = you would be able to get) if you could use a computer, (you could use = you were able to use)

Exercises:

Put the verb into the correct form.

1 If I..........(k now) his number, I would phone him.

2 I.......... (not / buy) that coat if I were you.

3 I............................(help) you if I could, but I'm afraid I can't.

4 We would need a car if we.........................................(live) in the country.

5 If we had the choice, we.................................. (live) in the country.

6 This soup isn't very good. It..................... (taste) better if it wasn't so salty.

7 I wouldn't mind living in England if the weather..................... (be) better.

8 If I were you, I................ (not/ wait). I............................(go) now.

9 You're always tired. If you..................(not / go) to bed so late every night, you

wouldn't be tired all the time.

10 1 think there are too many cars. If there................... (not / be) so many cars,

there...................(not / be) so much pollution.

Поиск по сайту: