Subjunctives with Wish/If Only

Subjunctives with Wish/If Only

Subjunctives are sentence constructions used to express situations that contradict

with the real situations.

1. Subjunctive with wish

Wish can be used with several different tenses: wish + past simple, wish + past

perfect, and wish + would + in􀂿 nitive.

a) Wish + past simple

This expresses an unrealistic desire for the present situation to be different

since there is very little chance of the change occurring.

Examples: I wish I lived in Australia.

I wish I had wings.

b) Wish + past perfect

This expresses a desire that an action or event in the past had been different.

Example: I wish I hadn’t decided to work in that company.

c) Wish + would + in􀂿 nitive

This expresses a desire for a situation to change either now or in the future.

The change could possibly occur but it generally depends on action from

some other persons or things.

Example: I wish he would give up smoking.

2. Subjunctives with if only

If only can be used instead of wish in all three constructions above. If only has

a stronger and unrealistic meaning than

Example : If only I had wings.

Read More

Would Rather

Would Rather

Would rather is used to express personal preference. This expression is used to show a tendency doing or liking something

Present from: - Notice that the simple form of. a verb follows both would rather and than. - if the verb is the same, it does not have to be repeated after than.	(1) I would rather become an engineer than an architect. (2) I'd rather study English than (study) Biology.
Past from: - would rather have + past participle	(3)The dish was okay, but I would rather have eaten my mother's apple pie.
Progressive from: - would rather + be + ing	(4)I'd rather be playing football than (be) staying at home right now.

Notes :

Contraction: I would = I'd

Negative form: would rather + not

Read More

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES TYPE 1

CONDITIONAL SENTENCES TYPE 1

In the last section of this unit you found these sentences:

1. If you pass the hall, you will see Krida Loka conference

room.

2. It will take about 5 minutes if you go there on foot.

NOTES:

1. The sentences consist of two clauses, the main clause

and the If clause.

2. The If clause gives a condition to the main clause.

The condition is introduced with “IF”, that is why it is

called an IF-conditional clause. The condition is real

in a sense that the condition may actually happen in the

future.

3. The main clause tells us the result if the condition

happens. It is called a result clause.

4. The main clause takes future tense, as in:

- You will see Krida Loka conference room

- It will take about five minutes

( Notes: the use of other present modals is possible, such

as: can or may)

5. The If clause takes simple present tense, as in:

- If you pass the hall

- If you go there on foot.

6. The If clause can be in initial or final position. When

you put it in the initial position, don’t forget to put a

comma (,).

Read More

Would you prefer AND Would you rather

Would you prefer AND Would you rather

- Would you prefer … to infinitive

… (or infinitive)?

- Would you rather … infinitive…

(or infinitive)?

- Would you like to … infinitive …

(or infinitive)?

- Do you prefer …Gerund/Noun

or Gerund/Noun…?

- What would you rather do: …

Infinitive or Infinitive…?

- Do you like … Noun or Gerund

… better/ more than … Noun or

Gerund?

Preferences Responses

- I’d prefer … to infinitive ….

- I prefer … Noun or Gerund …

- I’d rather … Infinitive … (than

Infinitive).

- I like … Noun or Gerund … better

than … Noun or Gerund ….

- I like both.

- I don’t like either of them.

- Neither. I prefer … to infinitive

Can expresses capability in the present or future.

The negative form of can may be

written can’t, cannot, or can not.

The past form of can is could. It is

used to express general ability in the past.

The negative form of could is

couldn’t or could not.

Be able to is also used to express

capability, but can is more usual.

Be able to is more commonly used

in combination with other auxiliaries.

Was able to is used when someone

managed to do something in one

particular situation.

Read More