UNIT 11 JUST SUPPOSE…

HYPOTHESIZING – FIRST
CONDITIONAL
1 FIRST CONDITIONAL SENTENCES ARE BASED ON FACT IN REAL TIME.

IF I HAVE ENOUGH TIME LATER, I’LL PLAY TENNIS WITH YOU.

A POSSIBLE CONDITION ITS PROBABLE RESULT

STRUCTURE:
PRESENT
IF WILL
SIMPLE
HYPOTHESIZING - SECOND CONDITIONAL
2 SECOND CONDITIONAL SENTENCES ARE NOT BASED ON FACT. THEY
EXPRESS A SITUATION WHICH IS CONTRARY TO REALITY IN THE PRESENT
AND FUTURE. THIS UNREALITY IS SHOWN BY A TENSE SHIFT FROM PRESENT
TO PAST.

IF SHE LEARNED TO RELAX, LENA WOULD BE HAPPIER.

IF HE WORKED A LOT HARDER, HE’D GET A PROMOTION.
A HYPOTHETICAL ITS PROBABLE
CONDITION RESULT
STRUCTURE
IF PAST SIMPLE WOULD / ‘D
BOTH FIRST AND SECOND CONDITIONAL SENTENCES CAN REFER TO PRESENT AND FUTURE.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM IS NOT ABOUT TIME.

COMPARE THE SENTENCES. WHICH IS MORE LIKELY?

YOU’LL LOSE WEIGHT IF YOU DO MORE EXERCISE. (=IT’S POSSIBLE)

YOU’D LOSE WEIGHT IF YOU DID MORE EXERCISE. (=IT’S LESS LIKELY)

(I’M OPTIMISTIC)
IF THE COMPANY SUCCEEDS, WE’LL BE RICH.
IF THE COMPANY SUCCEEDED, WE’D BE RICH. (I’M LESS OPTIMISTIC)

BY USING PAST TENSE FORMS IN THE SECOND CONDITIONAL, THE SPEAKER SUGGESTS THE
SITUATION IS LESS PROBABLE, IMPOSSIBLE OR IMAGINARY.
(=BASED ON FACT)
IF I’M THE WINNER, I’LL SHARE THE PRIZE.
(=IMAGINARY)
IF I WERE THE WINNER, I’D SHARE THE PRIZE.

WE CAN USE WERE (NOT WAS), ESPECIALLY IN FORMAL STYLE.

 HYPOTHESIZING – THIRD
CONDITIONAL
THIRD CONDITIONAL SENTENCES ARE NOT BASED ON FACT. THEY EXPRESS A SITUATION
WHICH IS CONTRARY TO REALITY IN THE PAST. THIS UNREALITY IS SHOWN BY A TENSE
SHIFT FROM PAST SIMPLE TO PAST PERFECT.

IF I’D KNOWN YOU WERE ILL, I’D HAVE VISITED YOU.

(=HAD) (=WOULD)
I DIDN’T KNOW. I DIDN’T VISIT.

STRUCTURE

IF PAST PERFECT WOULD / ‘D

HYPOTHESIZING – THIRD CONDITIONAL
WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

IF WE’D HAD TIME, WE’D HAVE GONE TO THE GYM.

WE DIDN’T HAVE TIME. WE DIDN’T GO TO THE GYM.

HE WOULDN’T HAVE LEARNED SPANISH IF HE HADN’T LIVED IN

PERU.
HE LEARNED SPANISH. HE LIVED IN PERU.
OTHER STRUCTURES THAT EXPRESS HYPOTHESIS
WISH, IF ONLY AND I’D RATHER ALSO EXPRESS HYPOTHESIS. THE TENSE USAGE IS
SIMILAR TO THE SECOND AND THIRD CONDITIONALS. UNREALITY IS EXPRESSED BY
A TENSE SHIFT.
I WISH I COULD DRIVE. (BUT I CAN’T.)
IF ONLY LAURA WERE HERE. (BUT SHE ISN’T.)
I’D RATHER YOU HADN’T MOVED SO FAR AWAY. (BUT YOU DID.)

EXPRESS THE WISH OR REGRET ABOUT THESE FACTS.

LIZ DOESN’T LIKE JOGGING WITH ME. I LIZ LIKED JOGGING WITH ME
SAM HAS A COLD. IFWISH SAM DIDN’T HAVE A COLD.
SHE READS COMICS. I’D
ONLY SHE DIDN’T READ COMICS.
RATHER
I’D RATHER YOU IS OFTEN USED AS A POLITE WAY TO TELL SOMEONE NOT TO
DO SOMETHING.
I’D RATHER YOU DIDN’T TURN ON THE TV.

WISH…WOULD CAN BE USED TO COMPLAIN BECAUSE SOMEONE WILL KEEP

DOING SOMETHING.
I WISH YOU’D LISTEN TO ME. (YOU WON’T LISTEN.)
I WISH YOU’D TIDY YOUR ROOM. (YOU WON’T TIDY YOUR ROOM.)
BUT
I WISH YOU WERE TIDIER.
I WISH I COULD SING WELL.

IF WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WILLINGNESS, WISH…WOULD IS NOT USED.

I’M SO DISORGANIZED. I WISH I WEREN’T SO DISORGANIZE