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The 2 form of the verb (played, went; was, did; had, etc.) is sometimes used in English to refer to an unreal situation. Although the tense looks like the past, we are usually talking about the present, e.g. in a Type 2 conditional sentence: If dogs had wings, they would be able to fly. Although had looks like the past tense, we are not referring to the past - we are talking about a hypothetical situation. This is unreal time. Some words and expressions can introduce either real or unreal worlds. Others (in bold) always signal unreal worlds: after conditional conjunctions such as: if unless if only what if in case as long as since in the that+subject+verb" clause after I wish; Id prefer, Id [rather/sooner] etc. in the that+subject+verb" clause after the expressions provided/providing suppose/supposing/Lets suppose etc. (Lets) imagine Its time/Its high time/Its about time etc.
What is a that+subject+verb clause?
Look at the que+subject+verb phrases in Catalan: Espero que plogui Tant de bo que no hagus menjat tant. Preferia que aquells homes paressin de fumar! There are two main differences in English: We must say who the subject is (in Catalan you usually know who the subject is because of the ending of the verb) We dont need to say that because we recognise its a that+subject+verb clause as soon as we hear the subject: I wish (that) she lived in Girona. Its time (that) you went home
nd
I hope it doesnt rain tomorrow. I hope you have a lovely time in Portugal next week.
Id prefer
prefer is a verb, so = = = = = Preferia anar al cine
NO CATALAN EQUIVALENT
Id prefer to go to the cinema Id prefer you to go to the theatre. Id prefer that you went to the theatre Id prefer that you didnt go Id prefer that Mary had gone But we also say:
Preferia que anessis al teatre Preferia que no marxessis Preferia que Mary hagus anat
Id prefer it if you went / Id prefer it if she had gone. And of course, Id prefer tea to coffee. Shed prefer some biscuits.
rather (preferentment) and sooner (ms aviat) are not verbs. They are adverbs.
present: Id rather play football than tennis. Shed sooner read a book than watch TV past: Id rather have lived in Ancient Greece than Ancient Rome. Shed sooner have married George Clooney than me But, an old use of would (meaning wish or want) has survived when combined with rather & sooner and that+subject+verb in the 2nd form So:
Formulaic Subjunctives
These are also a lot of fixed expressions (from more archaic language) that use the subjunctive. Typical expressions are: God save the Queen! Be that as it may Come what may . Suffice it to say . Far be it from me So be it.
UNREAL TIME AND SUBJUNCTIVES Practice I Underline either hope or wish in each sentence: 4) I hope/wish you didnt have to go. 5) I hope/wish youd stop shouting so much. 6) I hope/wish nothing goes wrong.
1) I hope/wish Ill see you again soon. 2) I hope/wish the weather improves soon. 3) I hope/wish I knew the answer.
II Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate verb form. 1) Id rather you ____________________ (not/watch) television while Im reading. 2) Its high time you __________________ (start) working seriously. 3) I wish I __________________ (spend) more time swimming last summer. 4) Helen is bossy. She acts as if she ______________ (own) the place. 5) I wish you ________________ (not/keep) coming late to class. 6) Suppose a complete stranger _______________ (leave) you a lot of money in their will! 7) I wish I _______________ (not/go) to your party after all. 8) Id rather you _______________ (sit) next to Susan, please. 9) You are lucky going to Italy. I wish I ______________ (go) with you. 10) She wishes her parents _______________ (approve) of her boyfriend. III Correct the errors in each sentence. 1) I wish I bought that old house. ______________________________________________________ 2) Id rather you dont eat all the bread. _________________________________________________ 3) Its time I go. ___________________________________________________________________ 4) I wish I own a motorbike. __________________________________________________________ 5) I wish we are not leaving in the morning. ______________________________________________ 6) Sue would rather reading than watching television. ______________________________________ 7) Come what comes, Ill be on your side. _______________________________________________ 8) I hope it would stop raining. ________________________________________________________ 9) Id prefer if you didnt wait. ________________________________________________________ 10) I wish I didnt listen to you before. ___________________________________________________ IV For each sentence, write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence, but using the words given in brackets. 1) Please, hurry up! (wish) 2) Its very late. We really ought to be leaving. (time) 3) It would be nice to know his opinion. (wish) 4) Please keep it a secret for the time being. (rather) 5) Its a pity that youre going away so soon. (wish) 6) Would you mind not smoking at table? (rather) 7) He really should find himself a regular job. (time) 8) My parents would prefer us to live in the country. (rather) 9) When is the weather going to improve? (high time) 10) Please stop making so much noise! (wish)
V Complete each sentence with a suitable word or phrase. 1) I wish you _______________________ making so much noise late at night! 2) Id rather the children _________________ on the television without permission. 3) Suppose ___________________ half the money I owe you. Would that satisfy you? 4) I hope __________________ get into trouble on my account? What do you think theyll say? 5) This is an awful hotel. I wish we ______________________ to the Grand instead. 6) Id rather you _________________________ talk so loudly, if you dont mind. 7) If he __________________________ so self-righteous, hed realise he was wrong. 8) I think its high time we _________________________ locking all the windows at night. 9) Would you rather I _____________________ the lunch, if you feel tired? 10) Id prefer you ____________________ smoke in here, if you dont mind. VI Add one of these common phrases to each of the sentences. come what may so be it a c e f suffice it to say far be it from me be that as it may God forbid
If, .., you were to die, whod run the business? If you really want to drop out of college, then . . to tell you what to do, but youd be mad to marry him. This medicine tastes horrible! ., it will cure your cough.
b I dont want to explain. .. Aunt Sarah is coming to stay after all. d ., Im determined to finish decorating my room this weekend.
VII Now what do you prefer? A holiday at the seaside or in the mountains? Id rather spend my holidays at the seaside than in the mountains. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) Working from home or from the office? Travelling by car or by public transport? Going to the cinema or to the theatre? Meat or fish as a main course? Winter fashion or summer fashion? Reading or watching television? A dog or a cat? Learning vocabulary or grammar?
answers
Underline either hope or wish in each sentence: 4) I hope/wish you didnt have to go. 5) I hope/wish youd stop shouting so much. 6) I hope/wish nothing goes wrong.
1) I hope/wish Ill see you again soon. 2) I hope/wish the weather improves soon. 3) I hope/wish I knew the answer.
II Put each verb in brackets into an appropriate verb form. 1) Id rather you ____________________ (not/watch) television while Im reading. 2) Its high time you __________________ (start) working seriously. 3) I wish I __________________ (spend) more time swimming last summer. 4) Helen is bossy. She acts as if she ______________ (own) the place. 5) I wish you ________________ (not/keep) coming late to class. 6) Suppose a complete stranger _______________ (leave) you a lot of money in their will! 7) I wish I _______________ (not/go) to your party after all. 8) Id rather you _______________ (sit) next to Susan, please. 9) You are lucky going to Italy. I wish I ______________ (go) with you. 10) She wishes her parents _______________ (approve) of her boyfriend. III Correct the errors in each sentence. 11) I wish I bought that old house. ______________________________________________________ 12) Id rather you dont eat all the bread. _________________________________________________ 13) Its time I go. ___________________________________________________________________ 14) I wish I own a motorbike. __________________________________________________________ 15) I wish we are not leaving in the morning. ______________________________________________ 16) Sue would rather reading than watching television. ______________________________________ 17) Come what comes, Ill be on your side. _______________________________________________ 18) I hope it would stop raining. ________________________________________________________ 19) Id prefer if you didnt wait. ________________________________________________________ 20) I wish I didnt listen to you before. ___________________________________________________ IV For each sentence, write a new sentence as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence, but using the words given in brackets. 11) Please, hurry up! (wish) 12) Its very late. We really ought to be leaving. (time) 13) It would be nice to know his opinion. (wish) 14) Please keep it a secret for the time being. (rather) 15) Its a pity that youre going away so soon. (wish) 16) Would you mind not smoking at table? (rather) 17) He really should find himself a regular job. (time) 18) My parents would prefer us to live in the country. (rather) 19) When is the weather going to improve? (high time) 20) Please stop making so much noise! (wish)
V Complete each sentence with a suitable word or phrase. 11) I wish you _______________________ making so much noise late at night! 12) Id rather the children _________________ on the television without permission. 13) Suppose ___________________ half the money I owe you. Would that satisfy you? 14) I hope __________________ get into trouble on my account? What do you think theyll say? 15) This is an awful hotel. I wish we ______________________ to the Grand instead. 16) Id rather you _________________________ talk so loudly, if you dont mind. 17) If he __________________________ so self-righteous, hed realise he was wrong. 18) I think its high time we _________________________ locking all the windows at night. 19) Would you rather I _____________________ the lunch, if you feel tired? 20) Id prefer you ____________________ smoke in here, if you dont mind. VI Add one of these common phrases to each of the sentences. come what may so be it g i j l suffice it to say far be it from me be that as it may God forbid
If, .., you were to die, whod run the business? If you really want to drop out of college, then . ., Im determined to finish decorating my room this weekend. This medicine tastes horrible! ., it will cure your cough.
VII Now what do you prefer? A holiday at the seaside or in the mountains? Id rather spend my holidays at the seaside than in the mountains. 9) Working from home or from the office? 10) Travelling by car or by public transport? 11) Going to the cinema or to the theatre? 12) Meat or fish as a main course? 13) Winter fashion or summer fashion? 14) Reading or watching television? 15) A dog or a cat? 16) Learning vocabulary or grammar?