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Past Unreal Conditionals and Past Wishes

Here is a quick review of the third, or past unreal conditional form. In general, the third conditional is used to imagine past situations results that would have been different if something else had been changed.

Don't forget Grammar Rules 

PAST UNREAL CONDITIONALS
IF CLAUSE		MAIN CLAUSE
If + Past Perfect	then	would have + past participle
If + Past Perfect	then	could have + past participle
If + Past Perfect	then	might have + past participle

Meaning and Use Notes

• Past unreal conditional setences express imaginary situations that were actually not true in the past.In the if clause,the past perfect indicates the situation was unreal in the past. In the result clause would have,could have,might have also indicate the result was unreal.
• Could have or might have in the result clause indicates one of several possible imaginary outcomes.Would have indicates that the speaker is more certain about imaginary result.
• Unreal conditionals beginning with If i had been you can be used as an indirect way of given advice.The If clause is often omitted.Unreal conditionals sound softer tham modals like should have.
• Often, a sentence with would have is used without an if condition.Instead, the main clause is joined to a true (not imaginary) setence with but. The true setence with but implies the unreal past condition

Examples:

• If he had finished the work on time, we would have played a round of golf yesterday afternoon. 
• If the meeting had been successful, we would have become partners with Smith and Co.

 The 'if' clause can also be placed at the end of the sentence. In this case, no comma is required.
Examples:

• They would have been very happy if he had passed the exam. 
• Jane would have married Tom if he had asked her.

 Past Wishes

 The verb to wish is followed by an 'unreal' past tense when we want to talk about situations in the present that we are not happy about but cannot change. Example I wish I had more money (= but I haven't) We wish we could come to your party (but we can't)

Don't forget Grammar Rules 

PAST WHISHES
WISH  CLAUSE		THAT CLAUSE
Simple Present		(that +) Past Perfect
Simple Present		(that +) Could Have + Past Perfect

Meaning and Use Notes

• Past wish setences refer to past situation that did not occur.
• They express a desire to change something that happened in the past. When you use a past wish setence, you express regret or dissatisfaction about a past situation.
• If only is often used in place of a past whis to express strong regret. If only sentences focus on the wish to change negative outcome.

Examples:

• I whis the weather had been nice yesterday  
• I wish you coulkd have seen the movie.

Examples: If Only # 2

• If only i hadn't lost my wallet.  
• If only the war had ended sooner.

EXERCISES

Conjugate the verb in parentheses in the correct tense used in the third conditional, or sentence with 'wish'.

1.  She _____ (wish) she had known about the problems.
2. If they _____ (ask) the right questions, they _____ (receive) the right answers.
3. She wouldn't have been allowed to speak if she _____ (disagree) with his point of view.
4. I _____ (wish) they had thought twice before doing that.
5. We wish we _____ (know) about those people.
6. Alice _____ (not speak) to him if she had been asked ahead of time. They wouldn't have thought twice about dinner if they _____ (ask) to help out with preparation.
7. She wishes she _____ (apply) for the bank position. If I _____ (invest) in Apple, I would have become a millionaire!
8. Oliver _____ (not know) the answer if you had asked him.

And Lastly...  A  summary video ...