If sentences with wish,would rather,suppose,what

if,if only
UNREAL PAST
The past tense is sometimes used in English to refer to an unreal situation.
So, although the tense is the past, we are usually talking about the present,
e.g. in a Type 2 conditional sentence:
If an elephant and a mouse fell in love, they would have many problems.
lthough fell is in the past tense, we are talking about a hypothetical situation
that might e!ist now or at any time, but we are not referring to the past. "e
call this use the unreal past.
#ther situations where this occurs are:
after other words and e!pressions like if $supposing, if only, what if);
after the %erb to wish;
after the e!pression Id rather..
Epressions li!e if
The following e!pressions can be used to introduce hypothetical situations:
& supposing, if only, what if. They are followed by a past tense to indicate
that the condition they introduce is unreal:
Supposing an elephant and a mouse fell in lo%e' $( but we know this is
unlikely or impossible)
"hat if we painted the room purple' $( that would be %ery surprising)
*f only I had more money. $( but * ha%ent).
These e!pressions can also introduce hypothetical situations in the past and
then they are followed by thepast perfect.
E!amples:
*f only * hadnt kissed the frog $( * did and it was a mistake because he
turned into a horrible prince, but * cant change it now.)
"hat if the elephant had trodden on the mouse' $She didnt, but we can
imagine the result+)
Supposing * had given that man my money+ $* didnt, so *%e still got my
money now.)
The "er# to wish
The %erb to wish is followed by an unreal past tense when we want to talk
about situations in the present that we are not happy about but cannot
change:
* wish * had more money $(but * ha%ent)
She wishes she was beautiful $( but shes not)
"e wish we could come to your party $but we cant)
"hen we want to talk about situations in the past that we are not happy about
or actions that we regret, we use the %erb to wish followed by the past
perfect:
* wish * hadnt said that $( but * did)
,e wishes he hadnt bought the car $( but he did buy it.)
* wish * had taken that -ob in .ew /ork $( but * didnt, so *m stuck in 0ristol)
N$TE: "hen we want to talk about situations we are not happy about and
where we want so%eone else to change them, we use to wish followed
by would + infnitive:
* wish he would stop smoking. $( * dont like it, * want hi% to change it)
* wish you would go away. $( * dont want you here, * want you to take
some action)
* wish you wouldnt squeeze the toothpaste from the middle+ $( * want you
to change your habits.)
Id rather and its tie!
These two e!pressions are also followed by an unreal past. The %erb is in the
past tense, but the situation is in the present.
"hen we want to talk about a course of action we would prefer someone else
to take, we use Id rather + past tense:
*d rather you went
,ed rather you called the police
*d rather you didnt hunt elephants.
.#TE: the stress can be important in these sentences, to show what our
preference is:
Id rather you went ( not me,
Id rather you went = dont stay
Hed rather you called the police ( he doesnt want to
Hed rather you called the police ( not the ambulance ser%ice
Similarly, when we want to say that now is a suitable moment to do
something, either for oursel%es or for someone else, we use its tie + past
tense:
*ts $high) time * went.
*ts time you paid that bill.
1ont you think its time you had a haircut'