Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Time and Truth Essay Example for Free
Time and Truth Essay The unreal in English is used to talk about things in your imagination, but which are not true. The unreal is often used with if and wish. Present Unreal Conditional The present unreal talks about the present time, life today, right now, but imagining (or wishing) something that is untrue. In a wish sentence, or in an if-clause, you use the past tense to show that the verb is unreal about the present. The main clause (often called the ââ¬Å"resultâ⬠clause) uses would: If I had a lot of money, I would buy a house. (The truth is that you donââ¬â¢t have a lot of money. ) If I knew Japanese, I would work in Tokyo. (The truth is that you donââ¬â¢t know Japanese. ) I wish I had a better job. If I had a good job, I would be much happier. (The truth is that you donââ¬â¢t have a good job. ) I wish I knew how to type. If I knew how to type, I would be able to get a better job. (The truth is that you donââ¬â¢t know how to type. ) The verb to be is always were in the unreal, no matter who the subject is: He wishes he were the mayor. If he were mayor, he would solve the homeless problem. (The truth is that he is not the mayor. ) If I were taller, I would play basketball. I wish I were six feet tall. (The truth is that you are not tall. ) Exercise 1. She doesnââ¬â¢t speak English, so she doesnââ¬â¢t understand you. If she ____________ English, she ______________________ you. 2. He canââ¬â¢t drive, so he wonââ¬â¢t buy a car. If he _________________________, he _____________________ a car. 3. He isnââ¬â¢t rich, so he wonââ¬â¢t buy a beach house. If he _____________________ rich, he ___________________ a beach house. 4. He eats too much, so heââ¬â¢s fat. If he ________________________ too much, he ___________________ fat. [Note: You need to use didnââ¬â¢t in this sentence. ] Past Unreal Conditional (Rick Shur, page 2 of 2) A wished or imagined idea about a past event is called the past unreal. The verb in the wish clause or if-clause is put in the past perfect (had + past participle) to show the past unreal. The main clause (the ââ¬Å"resultâ⬠clause) will use would have + past participle. When I was a child, I hated school. (This is the truth, what really happened. You hated school.) If I had liked school better, I would have studied and [I would have] learned more. I wish I had been a better student as a boy. I wish I had had better teachers, too. I wish my parents had forced me to do my homework. (The truth is that you didnââ¬â¢t like school, you didnââ¬â¢t study, you didnââ¬â¢t learn, you were not a good student, you didnââ¬â¢t have good teachers, and your parents didnââ¬â¢t force you to do your homework. ) If she had reminded me that yesterday was her birthday, I would have bought her a present. At least, I would have sent her a card. (The truth is that she didnââ¬â¢t remind you, so you didnââ¬â¢t buy her a present. ) I wish the Mets had won the game last night! If they had won, I would have made a lot of money. If the Mets had beaten the Yankees, I would have won $200. (The truth is that the Mets didnââ¬â¢t win, and you didnââ¬â¢t win any money. You lost! ) Exercise 1. She didnââ¬â¢t give me her phone number, so I wasnââ¬â¢t able to call her. If she ___________________________ her phone number, I ________________________________able to call her. 2. He didnââ¬â¢t have his wallet with him last night, so he didnââ¬â¢t buy the book. If he ____________________________ his wallet with him, he ________________________________ the book. 3. They didnââ¬â¢t get to the airport in time, so they missed their flight. If they __________________________ to the airport in time, they ________________________________ their flight. [Note: You need to use wouldnââ¬â¢t in this sentence! ] 4. He wasnââ¬â¢t able to open the wine bottle, so they didnââ¬â¢t drink wine. If he ___________________________ able to open the wine bottle, they _______________________________ wine.
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