HYPOTHETICAL STRUCTURES

1. WISH

S(ubject) + wish + S(ubject) + Past tenses (for present or future time reference)
eg. I wish I were / was going to France tomorrow. (but I am not)
…………….+ Past Perfect tenses (for past time reference)
Eg. I wish you had come to the party. (but you didn’t) We had such a great time!
…………….+ would + vb (for annoying situations happening to someone else than me)
Eg. I wish you wouldn’t come late for classes anymore.
……………. + could + vb (ability in the future)
Eg. Peter wishes he could come with us on the trip to Bucharest this weekend. (but he can’t)
……………..+ full infinitive (expressing desires in a formal way, not something hypothetical)
Eg. I wish to speak to the manager.

2. WOULD RATHER / SOONER

S(ubject)1+would rather / sooner + S(ubject)2 + Past tenses (for present or future time
reference)
Eg. I’d rather/sooner we stayed in tonight.(we are actually panning to go out)
S(ubject)1+would rather / sooner + S(ubject)2 + Past Perfect tenses (for past time reference)
I’d rather/sooner you hadn’t told them about the party. It was a surprise. (but you did and you
spoilt the surprise)

If we have the same subject we cannot use the rules above, but the short infinitive of the verb
Eg. I’d rather stay in tonight.

3. IT’S (HIGH) TIME

- generally applies to the present / future – it’s time + S+ Past tenses

Eg. It’s time we started learning seriously.

4. IF ONLY

- same rules as conditionals (types 2 and 3 or mixed)

If only + S + Past tenses (for present or future time reference) = Conditional Type 2
If only I was earning a reasonable salary (I could think of buying a bigger house). – the main
clause is sometimes omitted.
If only + S + Past Perfect tenses (for past time reference) = Conditional Type 3
If only I’d known you were coming, (I would have waited for you at the airport) – the main
clause is sometimes omitted.
If only + S + would + vb – (for annoying situations happening to someone else than me)
Eg. If only they would offer me a pay rise!
5. SUPPOSE / IMAGINE / SUPPOSING

- same rules as for IF ONLY

Eg. Supposing you were given 10 million euros, what would you spend it on?
Eg. Suppose you had won the lottery last night. What would you have done?

6. AS IF / THOUGH

- same rules as above (Past tenses for present or future time reference and Past Perfect tenses
for past time reference) if the situation described is hypothetical
Eg. She acts as if she were the boss but she’s an employee like all of us. (I know for sure she
isn’t)
- if the situation may be possible, we can also use present or future tenses
Eg. You look as if you haven’t slept all night. (it’s possible you haven’t – Present Perfect)
You look as if you had seen a ghost. (not possible, hypothetical – Past Perfect)

IN BRIEF,

We use Past Tenses to express hypothetical general, present or future meaning (just like in
Conditional Type 2)
We use Past Perfect Tenses to express unreal past meaning (just like in Conditional Type 3)
For possible desires in the future we do NOT use wish or any of these structures; we use the
verb HOPE + present or will-future
Eg. I hope I will have enough money to buy these shoes next week.