To learn to identify an unreal conditional in a sentence

To learn the forms of unreal conditionals

To learn when to use the unreal conditionals

To learn how to use the unreal conditionals

Unreal conditionals虚拟语气

And you probably much sleep if you near where a wedding reception was being held.如果你住的地方离婚礼现场不远，你很可能睡不好。

wouldn’t get

lived

Unreal conditionals

Read the points and examples on Pages 40-41 carefully to get a general idea of unreal conditionals. Please pay attention to the following notes.

英语中的语气分为陈述语气、祈使语气、虚拟语气三类。虚拟语气用来表示说话人的主观愿望或假想，而不表示客观存在的事实，所说的是一个条件，不一定是事实，或与事实相反。虚拟语气通过谓语动词的特殊形式来表示。

A brief introductionA brief introduction

1)If I knew his telephone number, I would tell you. ( 事实上我不知道 )

2)If I were you, I would take an umbrella. ( 事实上我不可能是你 )

3)If there were no air or water, there would be no living things on the earth. ( 事实上地球上即有空气又有水 )

我们用虚拟语气陈述现在不真实或想象的情景。

Notes

We form unreal present conditionals like this:

If … was/were/did …, …should /would/could/might do …

1. 假如现在我有更多的时间，我就会学习德语。 If I had more time now, I would study German.

2. 要是我象你一样年轻，我就会找时间锻炼。If I were/was young as you, I would find time to exercise.

1) would, could and might are often interchangeable( 可互换的 ), but with some difference in meaning.

would → intention; plancould → ability; possibilitymight → probability

2) In written English or in formal situation, we usually use were in If-clauses in place of was. However, in everyday conversation, was is often used.

TIP

1)If I had got there earlier, I should/could have met her. ( 事实上我去晚了 )2)If he had taken my advice, he would not have made such a mistake. ( 事实上没有听 )

我们用虚拟语气表示想象中发生在过去的动作。

Notes

3)If you had rung me yesterday, I would have told you what we were going to do yesterday evening. ( 事实上没有打电话 )

We form unreal past conditionals like this:

If … had been/done …, … would/should/could/might have done …

1) 如果他抓紧时间，他本来能赶上那趟火车。 If he had hurried, he could have caught the train.2) 如果你昨天告诉他，他也许会提些建议了。

If you had told him yesterday, he might have made some suggestions.

1) If I had time tomorrow, I would certainly help you.

2) If I were to fail my Maths test, I would have to take it again at the end of the term.

3) If he should come tomorrow, I would talk to him about it.

我们用虚拟语气表示想象中发生在将来的情景。

Notes

4) If there were a heavy snow next Sunday, we would not go skating.

We form unreal future conditionals like this:

If … was/were/did/should/were to …, … should/would/could/might do …

1) 假如我要出国，我就会去法国。 If I were to go abroad, I would go to France.

2) 万一明天下雨，我们的郊游就推迟。 If it should rain tomorrow, our picnic would be put off.

We can also put should, were and had at the beginning of an unreal conditional sentence. In this case, if is not needed any more.

1) If you should make a mistake, you should not be embarrassed.

→ Should you make a mistake, you should not be embarrassed.

TIP

2) If you had told me earlier, I would not have this problem now.

→ Had you told me earlier, I would not have this problem now.

3) If you were to take the train, you would be there much sooner.

→ Were you to take the train, you would be there much sooner.

TIP

We can also use could + the present perfect in if clauses for unreal conditionals.

If I could have told you about cultural differences between Italy and the UK, I would have.

1) 从句的动作与过去事实相反，而主句 的动作与现在或现在正在发生的事实 不符。 2) 从句的动作与现在事实相反，而主句 的动作与过去事实不符。

有时，虚拟条件句中，结果主句和条件从句的谓语动作若不是同时发生时，虚拟语气的形式应作相应的调整。

Eg.If I had worked hard at school, I would be an engineer, too. 如果我在学校学习刻苦的话，我现在也会成为一个工程师了。If they had informed us, we would not come here now. 如果他们通知过我们的话，我们现在就不会来这里了。

Eg.If he were free today, we would have sent him to Beijing. 如果他今天有空的话，我们会已经派他去北京了。 If he knew her, he would have greeted her. 要是他认识她的话，他肯定会去问候她了。

Reflection time

Fill in the table.

Tense If-clauses Main clauses

Present

Past

Future

If…was/were/did

…would/should/could/might do…

If…had/been/done

…would/should/couldmight have done…

If…was/were/did/were to/should do

…would/should/could/might do…

请点击

1. I _____through that bitter period without your generous help. ( 陕西 )

A. couldn’t have gone B. didn’t go C. wouldn’t go D. hadn’t gone2. They _____ have arrived at lunchtime but their flight was delayed. ( 全国 ) A. will B. can C. must D. should

3. — Where are the children? The dinner’s going to be completely ruined. — I wish they _____ always late. ( 北京 ) A. weren’t B. hadn’t been C. wouldn’t be D. wouldn’t have been 4. Maybe if I ___ science, and not literature then, I would be able to give you more help. ( 北京 ) A. studied B. would study C. had studied D. was studying

1. Everything _____ if Albert hadn’t called the fire brigade ( 消防队 ).

A. will be destroyed B. will have been destroyed C. would be destroyed

D. would have been destroyed

Quiz I: Multiple choice.

2. The business is risky. But ______, we would be rich. A. should we succeed B. we should succeed C. might we succeed D. would we succeed

3. What would have happened, ______, as far as the river bank?

A. Bob had walked farther B. if Bob should walk farther C. had Bob walked farther D. if Bob walked farther

4. I _____ you some money, but I hadn’t got any on me then.

A. would lend B. would have lent C. could lend D. may have lent

5. ______ today, he would get there by Friday.

A. Was he leaving B. If he leaves C. Were he to leave D. If he is leaving

6. Supposing this ship ____, do you think there would be enough life jackets for all the passengers?

A. were to sink B. has sunk C. was sinking D. sunk

7. I don’t think he’ll attend the party, and ______ he attend it, what would he wear?

A. were B. had C. did D. should

8. — You can ask your brother for help.

— He isn’t at home. If he ____, I ___.A. were, would B. is, would C. is, will D. were, will

9. — Are you thinking about going to Hangzhou for the vacation? — No, but if I _____ time, I ____ very glad to go there.A. have, will be B. had had, would have been C. had, would be D. had had, would be

10. — Sally finally got here from Chicago.

— If she _____ earlier, we _____ her to the party then.

A. came, would take B. had come, would have taken C. comes, will take D. had come, would take

1. 要是你准备功课再仔细一点的话 , 你就能通过考试了。

If you had prepared your lessons more carefully, you could have passed the exam.

2. 要是那场飓风发生在晚上的话 , 将会有更多的人死亡。

If that hurricane had happened at night, there would have been more deaths.

Quiz II: Translation.

3.It is essential that ____________________ _____________________ ( 每个人都为紧 急情况做好准备 ).4.___________________________________ ____ ( 如果他按照我告诉他的办法订票 ), we would have had quite a comfortable journey.5.I might have made the speech __________ _______________ ( 要不是有人把我的话 打断了 ).

everyone (should) be prepared for emergency

If he had booked tickets in the way I told him

if I had not been interrupted

1. You didn’t let me drive. If we __________ (drive) in turn, you ________________ (not get) so tired.

2. ______ it __________(not be) for your help, I couldn’t have made any progress.

had drivenwouldn’t have got

Had not been

Quiz III: Fill in the blanks with the verbs given in the brackets in their proper forms.

3. — Has Mr Smith recovered now? — Yes. Who __________________ (think) that such a serious illness could be cured?

4. _____________ it ___________ (rain) tomorrow, the match would be called off.

would have thought

Were / Should to rain / rain

5. Most of the students felt rather disappointed at the English party. They said that it _______________ __________ (organize) better.

6. Jean doesn’t want to work right away because she thinks that if she ___________________________ (get) a job, she probably wouldn’t be able to see her friends very often.

could have been

/ should get / gotwere to get

organized

7. Much labour would have been saved if electronic computer _________________ (invent) before.

8. — Well done, Jack ！ — Thanks. But given more time, I ___________________________ (do) it better.

had been invented

could / would / might have done

Magic Lantern

Magic Brush

Time Machine

Discussion:

What would you do if you had a …?

To preview Task on Page 42:

Skills building 1: completing a text

Skills building 2: asking for

information

Skills building 3: writing a letter of

apology

1. Do the exercises on Pages 40 and 41.2. Finish Parts C1 and C2 on Page 116 of the Workbook.

HomeworkHomework

Answers (P40)(1) attended (2) would/might be(3) went (4) would/might see(5) did (6) would/could be(7) travelled (8) would have to take(9) had started (10) would not have needed

Answers (P41)(1) had been (2) Had; got(3) Had; had / If; had had(4) Would; have been