Unreal

past i
Bob is at his cousin’s birthday
party. He’s bored.
He wishes he were/was somewhere
else.
If only he were/was somewhere
else.
WISH / IF ONLY + PAST
We use wish / If only + past to
express dissatisfaction or regret
about the present or future.
For example:
Bob wishes he were/was
somewhere else.
If only he were/was
somewhere else.
If only they I wish they
would let would stop
me eat smoking!
peacefully!
 WOULD RATHER + past simple

We use would rather + past simple to say

that we would prefer somebody to do or
not to do something (the subject of would
rather must be different from the subject
of the main verb).
• I´d rather you didn´t smoke in my house.
• I´d rather you didn´t wear my new dress.
 I´d rather
they didn´t
make so
much noise.

I´d rather they

studied more
every day.
 It´s time to + past simple
To complain, criticise or express what we think
should be done.
e.g.
• It´s time you ate your vegetables, little boy!!
• It´s time you went to bed, Jannet!
• It´s time you did your homework, Bart.
• It´s time you studied, Maria.
 As if/ as though + past simple

For untrue situations.

• He speaks as if he knew a lot.
(He doesn´t know a lot)
• She defends the guilty boy as if
he were innocent.
(He isn´t innocent).
• He describes it as if he were
there in the accident.
• (He wasn’t there)
Make sentences about the
following situations, using
wish / If only + past simple or
would rather + past simple
She’s trying to sleep but her
husband is snoring.

I wish... / If only...
He is in class. He’s bored.

He wishes... / If only...
They are lost.

They wish... / If only...

 It’s raining and we want it
to stop.

We wish... / If only...
This is John.
He went to a party yesterday and had too
many beers.
 This is John today.
He has a painful hangover...

He wishes he
hadn’t drunk
so many beers
yesterday.

If only he hadn’t
drunk so many
beers yesterday.
John is complaining about his
life all the time, his job, his
wife, his horrible family, etc.
Alessandro would like to have a girlfriend
like La Veneno…
 WISH / IF ONLY + PAST PERFECT

We use wish / If only + past perfect to

express dissatisfaction or regret
about the past.
For example:
• John wishes he hadn’t drunk so
many beers yesterday.
• If only he hadn’t drunk so many
beers yesterday.
Make sentences about the
following situations, using
wish / If only + past
perfect
He went trekking
alone but didn’t
take a map.
He got lost.

He wishes... / If only...
She has spent all her money on
clothes and now she’s in debt!

She wishes... / If only...

I’m feeling
seasick.

I wish... / If only...
I didn’t study for the test.

I wish... / If only...