Unreal pasts and subjunctives

Unreal pasts and subjunctives PEG 228, 292, 297-8, 300

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct forms.

1 It's just struck midnight. It's high time we (leave)!

2 If only we (have) a phone! I'm tired of queuing outside the public phone box.

3 You (have) better take off your wet shoes.

4 He walks as if he (have) a wooden leg.

5 He talks as if he (do) all the work himself, but in fact Tom and I did most of it.

6 Father: I've supported you all through university. Now I think it's time you (begin)

to support yourself.

7 I wish I (know) what is wrong with my car.

8 It looks like rain; you (have) better take a coat.

9 I wish I (ask) the fishmonger to clean these fish. (I'm sorry I didn't ask him.)

10 It's time we (do) something to stop road accidents.

11 The cheese looks as if rats (nibble) it.

12 It's high time they (mend) this road.

13 He always talks as though he (address) a public meeting.

14 He treats us as if we (be) all idiots.

15 Wife: I'd like to get a job.

Husband: I'd much rather you (stay) at home and (look) after the house.

16 If you (tie) the boat up it wouldn't have drifted away.

17 I wish you (not give) him my phone number. (7 'm sorry you gave it to him. )

18 If only he (know) then that the disease was curable!

19 Suppose you (not know) where your next meal was coming from?

20 You talk as though it (be) a small thing to leave your country for ever.

21 I hate driving. I'd much rather you (drive).

22 If only I (be) insured! <But I wasn 't insured.)

23 If you (not take) those photographs we wouldn't have been arrested.

24 I wish transistor radios never (be) invented.

25 If only I (keep) my mouth shut! (/ said something which made matters much worse. )

26 I'll pay you by cheque monthly. ~
I'd rather you (pay) me cash weekly.

27 When someone says something to me, I translate it into French, and then I think of

a reply in French, and then translate it into English and say it. ~

It's high time you (stop) doing all this translation and (start) thinking in English.

28 I said 'Sunday'. ~
I wish you (not say) Sunday. We'll never be ready by then.

29 But I told you what to do. ~
I know you did. If only I (take) your advice!

30 A flower pot fell off the balcony on to the head of a man who was standing below. It was most unfortunate that he happened to be standing just there. If he (stand) a foot to the right or left he'd have been unharmed.

31 That man has brought us nothing but trouble. I wish I never (set) eyes on him.

32 Can I take your best umbrella? ~
I'd rather you (take) the other one.

33 If you (have) a peep hole in your door you would have seen who standing outside and kept the door shut.

34 I wish I (not try)to repair it. I only made it worse.

35 If I (not have) rubber gloves on I would have been electrocuted.

36 He looks as though he never (get) a square meal, but in fact his wife feeds him very well.

152 would rather + subject + past tense

PEG 297-8

Answer the following questions by expressing a preference for different action.
Question: Can I write my essay on the back of an envelope?

Possible answer: I'd rather you wrote it on a sheet of foolscap.

Similarly:

Can we bring our pet snake to your party?

I'd rather you didn 't or I'd rather you left it at home.

It would also of course be possible to answer withprefer + object infinitive:
I'd prefer you to write it on foolscap,
I'd prefer you to leave it at home.

Useyou in all answers.

1 Can I go by bus?

2 Can I go alone?

3 Can we start tomorrow?

4 Can I ring New York on your phone?

5 Can we sleep in the garden tonight?

6 Can we cook our steak by holding it in front of your electric fire?

7 Can we use your scissors to cut this wire?

8 Can I leave school at sixteen?

9 Can we come in late tomorrow?

10 Shall I wake you up when I come in and tell you what happened?

11 Can I clean my motorcycle in the kitchen?

12 Can I tell Tom what you've just told me?

13 Can I go barefoot?

14 Can I have a snake tattooed round my ankle?

15 Shall we paint your door pink with yellow stars?

16 Shall I ring you at 3 a.m.?

17 Shall I threaten to burn down his house?

18 Can we bathe after dark?

19 Can I park my helicopter on the roof of your house?

20 Can I put the goldfish in the bath?

21 Can we hitch-hike to Rome?

22 Can I borrow your best umbrella?

23 Will it be all right if I write it in longhand?

24 Can I leave the washing up till the day after tomorrow?

153 wish + subject + past, past perfect or conditional
PEG 300-1

Rewrite the following using awish construction (phrases in brackets should be omitted).

1 I'm sorry I haven't got a washing machine.

2 I'm sorry I don't live near my work.

3 I'm sorry our garden doesn't get any sun.

4 I'm sorry I called him a liar.

5 I'm sorry I don't know Finnish.

6 I'm sorry I didn't book a seat.

7 I'm sorry I haven't got a car.

8 I'm sorry I can't drive.

9 I'd like Tom to drive more slowly (but I haven't any great hopes of this).

10 I'd like you to keep quiet. ( You 're making so much noise that I can't think.)

11 I'm sorry we accepted the invitation.

12 I'm sorry that theatre tickets cost so much.

13 It's a pity that shops here shut on Saturday afternoon.

14 It's a pity he didn't work harder during the term.

15 I'm sorry you didn't see it.

16 It's a pity you are going tonight.

17 It's a pity I haven't got a work permit.

18 I would like it to stop raining (but I'm not very hopeful).

19 I'd like you to wait for me (even though you are ready to start now).

20 I'm sorry I didn't bring a map.

21 I'm sorry I ever came to this country.

22 I'm sorry I left my last job.

23 I'm sorry I didn't stay in my last job.

24 I'd like him to cut his hair (but I don't suppose he will).

25 I'd like him to stop smoking in bed (but I haven't any great hopes).

26 I'm sorry he goes to bed so late.

27 Motorist in fog: It's a pity we don't know where we are.

28 It's a pity we haven't a torch.

29 I'm sorry I didn't know you were coming.

30 I'm sorry you told Jack.

31 I'm sorry I didn't ask the fishmonger to open these oysters.

32 I'm sorry I can't swim.

33 I'm sorry you aren't coming with us.

34 I'm sorry you aren't going to a job where you could use your English.

35 It's a pity you didn't ask him how to get there.

36 I would like every country to stop killing whales (but haw no real hope of this).

The passive

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 2141