Conditionals: Unlikely or contrary to present fact, Contrary to fact in the past

Conditionals

Unlikely or contrary to present fact

FORM: If + past simple/continuous + would/could etc. + past participle in the main clause.

USE: To talk about something, to give an advice.

1. To talk about something:

That is contrary to the presents facts, or seen as very unlikely to happen:
If I was/were twenty years younger, I‘d emigrate.
If I was/were Prime Minister, I‘d make health care free.

Which is very unlikely to happen in the future:
No matter how safe it was, I wouldn’t want to travel in space.
– I wouldn’t apply for that job unless I thought I had a good change of getting it.

2. To give an advice:

– Id write it out again if I were you.

Conditionals: Unlikely or contrary to present fact, Contrary to fact in the past

Contrary to fact in the past

FORM: If + past perfect + would/could etc. have + past participle in the main clause.

USE: to describe something in the past that could have happened but didn’t, or that shouln’t have happened but did.

– I wouldn’t have told her that if I‘d known she’d tell everyone else.
– She could have got there on time if she‘d not missed the bus.



Conditionals: Unlikely or contrary to present fact, Contrary to fact in the past publicat: 2022-02-01T06:22:44+02:00, actualizat: 2022-02-01T07:09:53+02:00 by Colegiu.info