This document provides a summary of conditionals and ways to express unreality in English grammar. It begins by distinguishing between real conditionals, which refer to likely or possible future events, and unreal conditionals, which refer to unlikely, untrue or impossible situations. It then examines the different verb tenses and structures used to form present, past and future real and unreal conditionals. The document also discusses using "wish" to express present and past regrets, as well as "if only" to convey wishes. Examples are provided throughout to illustrate the grammar points. Practice exercises at the end invite the reader to apply what they've learned by forming conditional statements based on pictures.

1. 9
Conditionals; Other
Ways to Express
Unreality
Experiences of an
International Traveler
Focus on Grammar 5
Part IX, Unit 23
By Ruth Luman, Gabriele Steiner, and BJ Wells
Copyright © 2006. Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Tired Traveler
I wish I
could brush
my teeth
right now.
If I had more
money, I
would stay at
better hotels.
If only I had
found a taxi.
If the airport
hadn’t lost my
luggage, I
wouldn’t have
been delayed.

3. Real Conditionals
Real conditionals are sentences that describe
situations that occur regularly or are likely or possible in
the future.
In present-time
In future-time
situations, use the
simple present in
the if clause and
both clauses to
the futurehabitual
describe with will
or or regularly in
be going to
occurring actions.
the result clause.
If we don’t get to the station on
If I don’t put
time, the train will leave without us.
sunscreen on,
I get a bad
sunburn.

4. Unreal Conditionals
Unreal conditionals are sentences that describe
situations that are untrue, unlikely, or impossible in the
present or the past.
In present-time
situations, use the
simple past in the
if clause and
would, could, or
might plus the
base form of the
verb in the result
clause.
She doesn’t have enough
money and she won’t
visit Paris.
If I had enough
money, I would
visit Paris.

5. Present Unreal Conditionals
Use the simple past in the if clause. If the verb is be,
use were for all persons. Use could, might, or would
+ base form in the result clause.
Where’s my wallet?
If I were a better planner I
wouldn’t travel without a map.
If he were more careful, he
would He didn’t that his wallet
notice travel with a
was so he got lost.
map, missing.

6. Past Unreal Conditionals
Use the past unreal conditional for past unreal, untrue, imagined, or
impossible conditions and their unreal results. Use the past perfect in the
if clause. Use could, might, or would + have + past participle in the
result clause.
Where’s my wallet?
If I had looked at a map, I
wouldn’t have gotten lost.
If he had been more careful,
he might have noticed his
He didn’t look at a map,
walletso he got lost.
was missing.

7. Practice 1
Look at the chart and complete
the conditionals with your own
ideas.
Real
Unreal
If + simple present
If + simple present
AND
AND
simple present
will + base form verb
Past Unreal
If + past perfect
If + simple past
AND
would/could/might
+ base form verb
AND
would/could/might
+ have
+ past participle verb
1. If I visit Europe, …
Examples:
If2.had enough not haveI gotten travel to Asia.
I … , I might money, …
would sick.
If3.have enough money, I will travel to Asia.
I If we took an airplane,…
…
If4.had had a made money,…would have traveled to Asia.
I If we had lot of reservations, …
I
5. … , I would learn Russian.

8. Wish 1
Use wish + could / would + base form to
express a wish about the future.
I wish that baby
would stop crying.
This is what he wants, but
he is not sure if the baby
will change his behavior.

9. Wish 2
Use wish + the simple past to express a
wish about the present.
I wish I
caught an
earlier flight.
I wish I had
more leg
room.

10. Wish 3
Use wish + the past perfect to express a
wish about the past.
The man ate the
airplane food.
I wish I hadn’t
eaten that
airplane food.

11. Hope and Wish
Don’t confuse hope and wish.
I hope I get
to the plane
on time.
Use hope to
express a desire
about events that
are possible or
probable.
I wish (that) I
didn’t have so
much luggage.
Use wish to express
regrets about things
that are unlikely or
impossible to change.

12. If Only
If only can also be used to express wishes.
If only they wouldn’t
leave me here for
the rest of my life.
Present
If only they
could see me.
Future

13. Practice 2
Example:
Use the pictures to make
statements using wish and if
only. Make statements about the
present, future, and past.
I wish I could take
the bus.
If only I’d make
my flight.
1.
2.
3.

14. References
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education and
its licensors. All rights reserved.