40. IF I HAD KNOWN….. I WISH I HAD KNOWN…… ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE FOR INTERMEDIATE

40. IF I HAD KNOWN….. I WISH I HAD KNOWN……

A	Study this example situation: Last month Gary was in hospital for a few days. Rachel didn’t know this~ so she didn’t go to visit him. They met a few days ago. Rachel said: ·         If I'd known you were in hospital, I would have gone to see you. Rachel said: If I'd known (=If I had known) you were in hospital. This tells us that she didn't know. We use if+ had ('d) ... to talk about the past (if I had known/ been/done etc.): ·         I didn't see you when you passed me in the street. If I'd seen you, of course I would have said hello. (but I didn't see you) ·         I didn't go out last night. I would have gone out if I hadn't been so tired. (but I was tired) ·         If he had been looking where he was going, he wouldn't have walked into the wall. (but he wasn't looking) ·         The view was wonderful. If I'd had a camera with me, I would have taken some pictures. (but I didn't have a camera) Compare: ·         I'm not hungry. If I was hungry, I would eat something. (now) ·         I wasn't hungry. If I had been hungry, I would have eaten something. (past)
B	Do not use would in the if-part of the sentence. We use would in the other part of the sentence: ·         If I had seen you, I would have said hello. (not If I would have seen you) Note that 'd can be would or had: If I'd seen you, (I'd seen= I had seen) I'd have said hello. (I'd have said = I would have said)
C	We use had (done) in the same way after wish. I wish something had happened= I am sorry that it didn't happen: ·         I wish I'd known that Gary was ill. I would have gone to see him. (but I didn't know) ·         I feel sick. I wish I hadn't eaten so much cake. (I ate too much cake) ·         Do you wish you'd studied science instead of languages? (you didn't study science) Do not use would have …… after wish: ·         The weather was cold when we were on holiday. I wish it had been warmer. (not I wish it would have been)
D	Compare would (do) and would have (done): ·         If I'd gone to the party last night, I would be tired now. (I am not tired now - present) ·         If I'd gone to the party last night, I would have met lots of people. (I didn't meet lots of people- past) Compare would have, could have and might have: If the weather hadn't been so bad we would have gone out. we could have gone out. (= we would have been able to go out) we might have gone out. (=perhaps we would have gone out)

EXERCISES

40.1	Put the verb into the correct form. 1 I didn’t see you when you passed me in the street. If ____I’d seen_____(I /see) you, I _____would have said_____ (I /say) hello. 2 Sam got to the station just in time to catch the train to the airport. If __________ (he I miss) the train, ____________ (he /miss) his flight too. 3 I’m glad that you reminded me about Rachel’s birthday. ________ (I /forget) if _______ (you /not /remind) me. 4 I wanted to send you an email, but I didn’t have your email address. If ____________(I /have) your address, ___________ (I /send) you an email. 5 A: How was your trip? Was it good? B: It was OK, but __________ (we /enjoy) it more if the weather _______ (be) better. 6 I took a taxi to the hotel, but the traffic was bad. _________ (it /be) quicker if ___________ (I /walk). 7 I’m not tired. If __________ (I /be) tired, I’d go home now. 8 I wasn’t tired last night. If _________ (I /be) tired, I would have gone home earlier.
40.2		For each situation, write a sentence beginning with If. 1 I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t eat anything. _____If I’d been hungry, I would have eaten something ________________ 2 The accident happened because the road was icy. If the road _____________,the accident _____________ 3 I didn’t know that Joe had to get up early, so I didn’t wake him up. If I ______ that he had to get up early,___________________ 4 Unfortunately I lost my phone, so I couldn’t call you. If _____________________________ 5 Karen wasn’t injured in the crash because she was wearing a seat belt. ________________________________ 6 You didn’t have breakfast- that’s why you’re hungry now. ________________________________ 7 I didn’t get a taxi because I didn’t have enough money. _________________________________
40.3		Imagine that you are in these situations. For each situation, write a sentence with I wish. 1 You've eaten too much and now you feel sick. You say: _______ I wish I hadn’t eaten so much_________________ 2 There was a job advertised in the paper. You decided not to apply for it. Now you think that your decision was wrong. You say: I wish I__________________________________________ 3 When you were younger, you never learned to play a musical instrument. Now you regret this. You say: __________________________________________________ 4 You've painted the gat e red. Now you think that red was the wrong colour. You say: __________________________________________________ 5 You are walking in the country. You’d like to take some pictures, but you didn’t bring your camera. You say: ___________________________________________________ 6 You have some unexpected guests. They didn’t phone you first to say they were coming. You are very busy and you are not prepared for them. You say (to yourself)___________________________________________

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