一、语气的定义和种类
l、语气：语气是动词的一种形式，它表示说话人对某一行为或事情的看法和态度。
2、语气的种类：
(1)陈述语气 indicative mood: 表示动作或状态是现实的、确定的或符合事实的，用于陈述句、疑问句和某些感叹句。如：We are not ready. 我们没准备好。What a fine day it is!多好的天气啊!
(2)祈使语气 Imperative Mood: 表示说话人的建议、请求、邀请、命令等。如: Open the door, please。请打开门。
(3)虚拟语气: 表示动作或状态不是客观存在的事实，而是说话人的主观愿望、假设或推测等。如: If I were you, I should study English. 如果我是你，我就学英语了。May you succeed! 祝您成功！
二、虚拟语气在条件从句中的用法
条件句有两类，一类是真实条件句，一类是虚拟条件句。
如果假设的情况是有可能发生的，就是真实条件句。在这种真实条件句中的谓语用陈述语气。如: If it doesn’t rain tomorrow, we will go to the park. 如果明天不下雨，我们就去公园。
如果假设的情况是过去或现在都不存在的，或将来不大可能发生的，则是虚拟条件句。如: If he had seen you yesterday, he would have asked you about it. 如果他昨天见到你，他会问你这件事的。(事实上他昨天没见到你，因此也未能问你这件事。)
在含有虚拟条件句的复合句中，主句和从句的谓语都要用虚拟语气。现将虚拟条件从句和主句的动词形式列表如下:
与现在事实相反: 从句: 动词的过去式（be的过去式一般用were）
主句:would/ should/ could/ might + 动词原形
与过去事实相反 : 从句 :had + 过去分词
主句 :would/ should/ could/ might + have + 过去分词
与将来事实相反 : 从句:动词过去式，should + 动词原形，
主句 :were to + 动词原形 would/ should/ could/ might + 动词原形
注: 主句中的should只用于I、we，但在美国英语中，should常被would代替；从句中的should可用于各种人称。
l、表示与现在事实相反的假设和结果。如: If my brother were here, everything would be all right.
2、表示与过去事实相反的假设和结果。如: If you had taken my advice，you wouldn't (couldn't) have failed in the exam.
3、表示与将来事实可能相反的假设和结果。如: If it were Sunday tomorrow, I should (would，could，might) go to see my grandmother. If it were to snow this evening, they would not go out.
4、有时条件从句中的动作和主句中的动作发生的时间不一致（表示错综时间的虚拟语气），这时动词的形式要根据它所表示的时间加以调整。例如: If you had listened to the doctor, you would be all right now. (从句动作指过去，主句动作指现在)
5、虚拟条件句可以转换成下列形式:
(l) 省略连词if。在书面语中，如果虚拟条件从句中有were，had 或 should，可以把if省略，把这几个词放到主语之前，构成主谓倒装。例如: Should he come (If he should come), tell him to ring me up. Were I you (If I were you), I would not do it.
(2) 用介词短语代替条件状语从句。有时假设的情况并不用条件从句表示出来，而是通过介词短语来表示。如: Without air (If there were not air), there would be no living things. But for your help (If it hadn't been for your help) I couldn't have done it.
假设的情况有时可以通过上下文或其他方式表现出来。如:
I was busy that day. Otherwise I would have gone there with them. (If I hadn't been busy that day, I would have gone there with them.) (如果我那天不忙的话，我就……)；
I would have finished the work, but I have been ill. (If I hadn't been ill, I would have finished the work.) (如果我没生病的话，我就会完成……)
6、省去条件从句或主句：表示虚拟语气的主句或从句有时可以省略，但其含义仍可以推知。
(1) 省去条件从句。如: You could have washed your clothes yourself. (事实是: 你自己没洗衣服，因为你不想洗。)
(2) 省去主句(常用以表示愿望)。如: If my grandmother were with me! If only she had not left (事实是: 她已经走了。)
三、虚拟语气的其他用法
l、虚拟语气在主语从句中的用法
在"It is important (strange，natural，necessary) that…"这类句型里，that 所引导的主语从句中的谓语动词常用 “should+ 动词原形”结构，表示某事是"重要"、"奇怪"、"自然"、"必要"等意义。
如: It is important that every member (should) inform himself of these rules.
It is strange that you should say such a thing.
It was important that you should tell me all the information.
Funny you should ask.
2、虚拟语气在宾语从句中用法：
(1). 在动词wish后的宾语从句中，表示与现在或过去的事实相反，或对将来的主观愿望，从句通常省略连词that。
1) 表示对现在情况的虚拟:从句动词用过去式或过去进行式(be动词一般用were)。如: I wish I knew the answer to the question. (可惜不知道)；
2) 表示对过去情况的虚拟:从句动词常用"had+过去分词"。如: I wish (wished) I hadn't spent so much money. (实际上已经花掉)；
3) 表示对将来的主观愿望:谓语动词形式为"would+动词原形"。此时要注意，主句的主语与从句的主语不能相同，因为主句的主语所期望的从句动作能否实现，取决于从句主语的态度或意愿(非动物名词除外)。如: I wish it would stop raining. I wish you would come soon.
I wish that I met my uncle now.
I wish I had met my uncle yesterday.I wish I could meet my uncle tomorrow.
(2). 在suggest，demand，order，propose，command, request, desire, suggestion, order, request, demand, importance, proposal, order, ask, decide, demand, require, recommend, insist, advise 等动词后的宾语从句中，谓语动词用“should + 动词原形”，表示建议、要求、命令等。如: I demand that he (should) answer (用动词原形) me immediately. He made a suggestion that we (should) have a fancy dress party. I think it is a thing of importance that it (should) be done soon. He suggested that we (should) help them with English. The teacher ordered that the homework (should) be finished within half an hour.
Oh, hi, Penny, guess what? Sheldon got bongos. Why did you get bongos? Richard Feynman played the bongos. I thought I'd give that a try. Richard Feynman was a famous physicist. Oh, Leonard, it's 3:00 o'clock in the morning. I don't care if Richard Feynman was a purple leprechaun who lived in my butt. Penny meant if he were a purple leprechaun [ˈleprəˌkɔn]. Penny forgot to use the subjunctive. Sheldon, go to bed. You have work in the morning. wiki: A leprechaun [ˈleprəˌkɔn] is a type of fairy of the Aos Sí in Irish folklore. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. They are solitary creatures who spend their time making and mending shoes and have a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If captured by a human, they often grant three wishes in exchange for their freedom. Like other Irish fairies, leprechauns may be derived from the Tuatha Dé Danann. Leprechaun-like creatures rarely appear in Irish mythology and only became prominent in later folklore.
Insist后接宾语从句时，有时用虚拟语气，有时用陈述语气，其区别是：若谓语动词所表示的动作尚未发生，或尚未成为事实，则用虚拟语气；若谓语动词所表示的动作已经发生，或已经成为事实，则要用陈述语气。比较：She insisted that I (should) stay for supper. He still insisted that he wasn’t there at the time.
与insist相似, Suggest后接宾语从句时，也可用虚拟语气或陈述语气，其区别是：若谓语动词所表示的情况尚未成为事实，则用虚拟语气，此时翻译为建议, 若谓语动词所表示的情况为既成事实，则要用陈述语气，此时的suggest 通常为"认为, 表明". He suggested that we (should) come another day. His smile suggested that he was satisfied.
3、虚拟语气在状语从句中的用法
(1). 在带有even if/ even though引导的让步状语从句的主从复合句中，主句和从句都用虚拟语气，动词形式与含有非真实条件句的虚拟语气相同。如: Even if he had been ill, he would have gone to his office.
(2). 由as if或as though 引导的状语从句表示比较或方式时. 从句谓语形式为动词的过去式 (be用were)或 "had+过去分词". 如: He treated me as if I were a stranger. She talked about the film as if she had really seen it.
注:如果表示的事情可能会发生，那么方式状语从句中的谓语动词可用陈述语气。
You use as if and as though when you are giving a possible explanation for something or saying that something appears to be the case when it is not. Anne shrugged, as if she didn't know. 非虚拟. He burst into a high-pitched laugh, as though he'd said something funny.
as if I. in such a way that something seems to be true It looks as if it's going to rain. Jack smiled as though he was enjoying a private joke. II. used when you are describing something and you imagine an explanation for it that you know is not the real one. The house was in such a mess – it looked as though a bomb had dropped on it. III. spoken used for emphasizing that something is not true or is not important. "Don't get lost or anything, will you?" "As if I would 搞得好像 – I’m not stupid." Why was he worrying about the interview? – As if it mattered anyway!
as if by magic 奇迹般的, 变魔术般的 in a surprising or sudden way that is impossible to explain. I mentioned his name, and he appeared as if by magic. do something as if/ like/ as though you own the place to behave in an annoying way that shows that you think you can do whatever you want. The new president's friends have been strutting around town as if they owned the place. She acts like she owns the place! They walked in as if they owned the place. make as if to do something 装作是要做某事, 装的好像是要做某事 to make a movement so that you seem to be going to do something. Dad made as if to chase me out of the room. look as if you have seen a ghost 跟见鬼了似的, 看见鬼了似的 to look very frightened and upset. if/when/as the spirit moves you 随心所欲的 used for saying that someone does something when they want to, rather than when they think they should At these meetings, people stand up and speak as the spirit moves them.
As if and as though are conjunctions 连词.
We use as if and as though to make comparisons. They have a similar meaning. We use as if and as though to talk about an imaginary situation or a situation that may not be true but that is likely or possible. As if is more common than as though:
The floods were rising and it was as if it was the end of the world.
It looks as if they've had a shock.
It looks as though you've not met before.
We can use both as if and as though followed by a non-finite clause or a prepositional phrase:
She moved her lips as if to smile.
They were shouting as though in panic.
As if and as though commonly follow the verbs feel and look:
She felt as if all her worries had gone.
They felt as though they had been given the wrong information.
I've got so much work it looks as if I’ll have to stay at home this evening.
In informal English, like can be used in a similar way to as if, though it is not always considered correct in formal contexts:
It felt like it could snow at any minute.
(3)在in order that或so that引导的目的状语从句中，谓语动词多用 “could或might（有时也用should）+ 动词原形”。如: Mr green spoke slowly so that his students could (might) hear clearly.
4、虚拟语气在定语从句中的用法
在"It is time (that) …"句型中，定语从句的谓语动词常用虚拟语气表示将来，动词形式一般用过去式，意思是"该干某事的时候了"。如: It's (high) time we did our homework.
It is (high/about) time that ... + did / were ... It is time that you went to bed.
When you wait until you are 30 and your parents kick you out of their
basement before you finally get around to getting a job, this is an
example of a situation where someone might say "It is high time you got a job!"
If you say that it is high time that something happened or was done,
you are saying in an emphatic way that it should happen or be done now,
and really should have happened or been done sooner. It is high time the Government displayed a more humanitarian approach towards victims of the recession. It is high time to consider the problem on a global scale.
It's time that: We can use the expression it's time + subject + past verb form to refer to the present moment: Gosh! It’s almost midnight. It’s time we went home. Not: It’s time we go home. It’s time with a verb in the to-infinitive form can refer to the speaker and the listener together: Come on. It’s time to start packing. We have to leave in two hours. (or It’s time we started packing.)
5、虚拟语气在简单句中的用法
(1). 情态动词的过去式用于现在时态时，表示说话人的谦虚、客气、有礼貌，或委婉的语气，常见于日常会话中。如: It would be better for you not to stay up too late.
(2). 在一些习惯表达中。如: I would rather not tell you 后边不接从句时, 表示的是一种选择不用虚拟，跟动词原形.
would rather的用法附在后面
would rather that ... + did / were ... I would rather that you were not here now (后边接从句时表示的是一种和事实相反的希望愿望，从句为虚拟语气).
would sooner that ... + did / were ...
I would sooner that you got up earlier. I would sooner that you were not my brother.
(3). 用“may + 动词原形”表示"祝愿"、"但愿”，此时may须置于句首（多用于正式文体中）。如: May you be happy! May good luck be yours.
Would rather 的用法
same subject (+ base form)
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different subject (+ past simple clause)
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She'd rather you didn't phone after 10 o'clock.
Not:She wouldn't rather you phoned after 10 o'clock.
Same subject
We'd rather go on Monday.
Not:We'd rather to go … or We'd rather going …
More than half the people questioned would rather have a shorter summer break and more holidays at other times.
I'd rather not fly. I hate planes.
She would rather have spent the money on a holiday. (The money wasn't spent on a holiday.)
I'd rather have seen it at the cinema than on DVD. (I saw the film on DVD.)
Different subjects
I would rather they did something about it instead of just talking about it. (past simple to talk about the present or future)
Would you rather I wasn't honest with you? (past simple to talk about the present or future)
Not:Would you rather I'm not honest with you? or …I won't be honest with you?
I'd rather you hadn't rung me at work. (past perfect to talk about the past)
Much rather
I'd much rather make a phone call than send an email.
She’d much rather they didn't know about what had happened.
Short responses: I'd rather not
A: Do you want to go for a coffee?B: I'd rather not, if you don't mind.
Would sooner, would just as soon
I don’t really want to go back to France again this year. I’d sooner go to Spain.
Thanks for the invitation, but, if you don’t mind, we’d just as soon stay at home and watch it all on TV.
Would rather, would sooner: typical errors
- We don't use would rather or would sooner with an -ing form or a to-infinitive:
I don't need a lift, thanks. I'd rather walk.
Not:I'd rather to walk. or I'd rather walking.
- When we use not referring to a different subject, we attach not to the second clause, not to would rather or would sooner:
I'd rather they didn't tell anyone
Not:I'd rather not they told anyone.
You'd never guess they were related 后边一定是过去式. You know two guys who are brothers but don't look or act the same at all. You're talking about them with a friend who just met them. You say this during your conversation. You'd never guess (clause) 永远都不会想到, 永远都想不到, 永远都猜不到, 你不会猜到( I/you/she etc would never guess used for showing that you think something is not at all obvious. Looking at her now you'd never guess she'd been so upset. I'd never have guessed that they were married. you'll never guess used for introducing something interesting or exciting that you want to tell someone. you'll never guess who/what/how etc: You'll never guess who I sat next to! ) The meaning of "You'd never guess ___" is "You would never know or guess ___ if someone didn't tell you." In other words, this isn't easy to guess on your own. Here are some examples: Look at this gorgeous pair of shoes! You'd never guess that they were only $30. You'd never guess that she's 60 years old. She looks like she's in her 40s at most. "You'd never guess" is followed by a clause, which is kind of like a sentence inside of another sentence. That clause is usually written in the past tense ("they were related" instead of "they are"). In written English or more formal speaking, you'd begin the clause with "that": You would never guess that they were related to each other. You can also use other words like "know" and "think" instead of "guess": You'd never know that this neighborhood was once one of the roughest parts of town. You'd never think that such a tiny amount of water could cause so much damage. (some people) are related (to each other) People who belong to the same family by birth "are related to" each other: I grew up calling him "grandpa", but we're not technically related to each other. You can say that people are "related to" each other, or you can just say that they are "related". But you can't just say that one person is related: A: Johanna is related. B: Huh? What do you mean? Related to who? A: I mean, she's related to me.
would rather: used for saying that you would prefer to do something or that you would prefer that something happened I'd rather you didn't mention this matter to anyone else. He doesn't want to learn – he'd rather stay at home and play video games. would rather...than: They said they would rather die than abandon their homes. would rather not (=would prefer not to do something): You don't need to come if you'd rather not. If you say that you would rather do something or you' d rather do it, you mean that you would prefer to do it. If you say that you would rather not do something, you mean that you do not want to do it. If it's all the same to you, I'd rather work at home. Which programme would you rather appear on? Kids would rather play than study. I have no information one way or the other, but I would rather he do it than not do it. I would rather Lionel took it on. Sorry. I'd rather not talk about it. Would you like that? Don't hesitate to say no if you'd rather not.
what if 的虚拟语气: what if: You say what if at the beginning of a question when you ask about the consequences of something happening, especially something undesirable. used for asking what would happen in a particular situation. What if the boss walked in here now and saw us? What if we just cancel the whole thing? What if this doesn't work out? What if he was going to die! What if I had to share a room?
what if 的用法 (有时用虚拟语气, 有时不用虚拟语气), 剑桥的这个解释最全面和清楚:
what if/suppose/supposing用于表示Suggestions, 不用虚拟语气
We use suppose, supposing and what if + present verb form to make suggestions about what might happen:
A:What time shall we meet?B:Suppose we meet in the offices downstairs at four o’clock?A:That’s perfect. I’ll let the others know.
Supposing I don’t bring my car and you and I travel together. That would save us half the cost of petrol and parking.
A:The electricity has gone 停电了. There must be a power cut.B:What if we find the candles and put them around the room?A:Okay. Good idea. Do you know where they are?
what if/suppose/supposing 表示Possibility, 用虚拟语气
When we are less certain, we use suppose, supposing and what if + past form to talk about future possibility 讨论一种不确定的，未来的可能性 (用过去式):
Suppose we asked Mary to baby-sit? Do you think she’d do it? (not as certain as Suppose we ask Mary to baby-sit?)
Supposing someone else wrote the essay. How would we know? (not as certain as Supposing someone else writes the essay …)
A: What if I gave up working full-time. I’d love that.B: You’re joking surely!!
When we refer to something that did not happen (something hypothetical), we use the past perfect 讨论一种过去并没有发生的事情（用完成时）:
Suppose we hadn’t brought our umbrellas. (We did bring our umbrellas.)
Supposing they had closed the road. Would that have been a good idea? (They didn’t close the road.)
What if I had accidentally told Maria about the party! That would have ruined the surprise. (I didn’t tell Maria about the party.)
BBC learning English: We use what if at the beginning of a question when we are asking about the consequences of an action, particularly one that is undesirable. We refer in this way to present or future circumstances: What if I am made redundant and have no work? What shall we do then? What if there are jellyfish? You won't want to swim in the sea then. We can also use this structure to refer to past circumstances: What if the ice had cracked? You would have disappeared into the icy water and wouldn't be here to tell us about it. What if you had slipped? You would've fallen right down the cliff. There would have been nothing to save you. As you can see from these examples, what if questions give us an alternative way of expressing conditional ideas. We could have said: What shall we do if I am made redundant and have no work? You won't want to swim in the sea, if there are jellyfish around. 虚拟语气: If the ice had cracked, you would've disappeared into the icy water and wouldn't be here to tell us about it. If you had slipped, you would have fallen right down the cliff. However, none of these examples sound as dramatic as "what if...?". Note that the final two examples in these sequences refer to imaginary situations that did not occur, for which we need the so-called 'third' conditional.
Suppose, supposing or what if for possibilities? We can also use suppose or supposing as an alternative to what if when we are asking about the consequences of an action:
I'm not going to take my umbrella.
~ Suppose it rains?
~ Supposing it rains?
~ What if it rains?
~ What will you do if it rains?
I just caught the last flight of the day with two minutes to spare!
~ Suppose you had missed the flight?
~ Supposing you had missed the flight?
~ What if you had missed the flight?
~ What would you have done, if you had missed the flight?
When we are less certain, we use suppose, supposing and what if + past form to talk about future possibility: Suppose we asked Mary to baby-sit? Do you think she'd do it? (not as certain as Suppose we ask Mary to baby-sit?). Supposing someone else wrote the essay. How would we know? (not as certain as Supposing someone else writes the essay …). A: What if I gave up working full-time. I'd love that. B: You're joking surely!! When we refer to something that did not happen (something hypothetical), we use the past perfect: Suppose we hadn’t brought our umbrellas. (We did bring our umbrellas.). Supposing they had closed the road. Would that have been a good idea? (They didn’t close the road.). What if I had accidentally told Maria about the party! That would have ruined the surprise. (I didn’t tell Maria about the party.). Warning: We use be supposed to to talk about obligations and arrangements, not suggestions. You are supposed to put money in the parking meter!
What if / suppose / supposing for suggestions: When referring to present or future circumstances, we also use these structures to introduce suggestions in a rather tentative way. We are not so confident that the person we are addressing will say 'yes', so we do not use the more enthusiastic Let's… or Shall we…? in these circumstances: What if /suppose / supposing we invite Geoffrey to fill the empty place at dinner? How would you feel about that? We haven't got any cream for the sauce. Suppose / what if / supposing we use milk instead? Would that be all right? And I don't have a table cloth for such a large dinner table. Suppose / supposing / what if we were to use the green sheet from the double bed? It would look good with the yellow table napkins. We use suppose, supposing and what if + present verb form to make suggestions about what might happen: A: What time shall we meet? B: Suppose we meet in the offices downstairs at four o'clock? A: That's perfect. I'll let the others know. Supposing I don't bring my car and you and I travel together. That would save us half the cost of petrol and parking. A: The electricity has gone. There must be a power cut. B: What if we find the candles and put them around the room? A: Okay. Good idea. Do you know where they are?
Bernadette (on phone): Okay. Thanks, daddy. He said the only way to really fix an old floor like that is to tear it up and replace the whole thing. Howard: That sounds expensive. Raj: Hang on. No offence to her father, but he's not an MIT trained engineer. Thinking and building is what you do. Howard: MIT's motto is mind and hand, which just so happens was also my motto as a lonely teenager. Raj: Oh come on, we just need to be more creative. What if you didn't step on the floor at all? Like, what if you swung on a rope from the ceiling? Howard: No. Raj: Okay, um, okay, what if you rig up a pulley system and move yourself across the room in a harness? Howard: No. Bernadette: I have one. What if you got a giant slingshot and flung yourself into the wall? Howard: Is that supposed to be funny? Raj: Hold on. Yeah, that's funny. 虚拟语气: What if we get caught? = So what if we get caught? (expresses nonchalance). What if we got caught? = What will happen if we get caught? (expresses curiosity). The simple present (in this case "get", "write") would be understood to mean the same as the subjunctive ("got", "wrote"), although the subjunctive is the correct choice. If we were still together, I should be happy. If they were still together, they would be happy. Personally, I wouldn't fret too much about the different 'types' of conditional. The important thing is to understand how the were- subjunctive (or 'past' subjunctive) functions when used in an if-conditional clause. The were- subjunctive expresses a hypothetical or unreal meaning; in other words it deals with things that not only have not happened, but never will. It is used mainly in conditional clauses introduced by if, such as the one you cited. But be careful with a conditional clause that uses the were- subjunctive mood. An if-clause with was (i.e. the indicative mood) implies that an event may take place but, when used with the were- subjunctive, that possibility is 'cancelled out', and the event becomes purely hypothetical (or extremely unlikely). So in your sentence, the clause 'if we were together' implies that 'togetherness' will not occur, so to follow it with I am happy' makes no sense. The subordinate 'if- clause is a conditional, and it needs to be followed by a modal verb form that reflects a feeling of dependency on the outcome of the conditional clause. This is normally done by using should (with the 1st person) or would (with the others), such as: If we were still together, I should be happy. If they were still together, they would be happy.
The Zero Conditional
We can make a zero conditional sentence with two present simple verbs (one in the 'if clause' and one in the 'main clause'):
- If + present simple, .... present simple.
The 'if' in this conditional can usually be replaced by 'when' without changing the meaning.
For example: If water reaches 100 degrees, it boils. (It is always true, there can't be a different result sometimes). If I eat peanuts, I am sick. (This is true only for me, maybe, not for everyone, but it's still true that I'm sick every time I eat peanuts)
Here are some more examples:
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See this page about the first conditional to learn about the difference between the first and the zero conditionals. The first conditional is about a specific situation, but the zero is talking in general.
The First Conditional
The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other clause:
- if + present simple, ... will + infinitive
It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true.
- If it rains, I won't go to the park.
- If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight.
- If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes.
- She'll be late if the train is delayed.
- She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon.
- If I see her, I'll tell her.
The first conditional describes a particular situation, whereas the zero conditional describes what happens in general.
For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned
(here I'm talking about every time a person sits in the sun - the
burning is a natural consequence of the sitting)
But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here
I'm talking about what will happen today, another day might be
different)
The first conditional describes things that I think are likely to
happen in the future, whereas the second conditional talks about things
that I don't think will really happen. It's subjective; it depends on my
point of view.
For example (first conditional): If she studies harder, she'll pass the
exam (I think it's possible she will study harder and so she'll pass)
But (second conditional): If she studied harder, she would pass the exam
(I think that she won't study harder, or it's very unlikely, and so she
won't pass)
The Second Conditional
The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive:
- if + past simple, ...would + infinitive
(We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal writing).
It has two uses.
First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example.
- If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery)
- If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello.
- She would travel all over the world if she were rich.
- She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't happen)
Second, we can use it to talk about something in the present which is impossible, because it's not true. Is that clear? Have a look at the examples:
- If I had his number, I would call him. (I don't have his number now, so it's impossible for me to call him).
- If I were you, I wouldn't go out with that man.
This kind of conditional sentence is different from the first conditional because this is a lot more unlikely.
For example (second conditional): If I had enough money I would buy a
house with twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool (I'm probably not going
to have this much money, it's just a dream, not very real)
But (first conditional): If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes
(It's much more likely that I'll have enough money to buy some shoes)
The Third Conditional
When do we use the third conditional?
The third conditional is used to express the past consequence of an unrealistic action or situation in the past. For example,
- If he had studied harder, he would have passed the exam.
The first action (studying hard) did not happen. But in the case that he happened, the consequence was passing the exam. The third conditional is very similar to the second conditional. But while the second conditional refers to something unrealistic now or in the future, the third conditional refers to something unrealistic in the past. We often use the third conditional to express regrets – describing things we are sorry happened or didn’t happen. For example,
- If my alarm had gone off, I wouldn’t have been late to work.
- If there hadn’t been so much traffic we wouldn’t have missed our flight.
How do we create the third conditional?
To make a sentence in the third conditional, we use,
If + past perfect, would/wouldn’t have + past participle.
- If you had told me about the meeting, I would have come.
- If you had told me about the meeting, I wouldn’t have missed it.
As with all conditionals, you can also invert this structure:
Would have + past participle if + past perfect.
- I’d have come to the meeting if you’d told me about it.
- I wouldn’t have missed the meeting if you’d told me about it.
The word would is often contracted to ‘d by native speakers. It’s also acceptable to use this in informal writing. And in speech it’s common to contract have to ‘ve in the third conditional. For example,
- I’d’ve come to the meeting if you’d told me.
However, we can’t write this, even in an informal context. It’s useful to be aware of it though, so you can identify it when native speakers say it.
As an alternative to would, we can complete the second part of a third conditional sentence with could. For example,
- If I’d stayed at university, I could have got a masters degree.
Here are some other examples of the third conditional:
- He’d have got the job if he hadn’t been so nervous in the interview.
- What would you have done if you’d been me?
- If it hadn’t been snowing heavily, we’d have carried on skiing.
- The company would have survived if there hadn’t been a recession.
- Would you have accepted the offer if we’d reduced the price?
- If you hadn’t invited me out, I’d have stayed in all day.
- She wouldn’t have given you a fine if you’d apologized.
- If they hadn’t won that match, the club would have fired the manager.
- They could have stayed here if they hadn’t found any accommodation.
Mixing the second and the third conditionals
It’s possible to combine the second and the third conditionals. There are two ways of doing that. We can either, Describe the present consequence of a past situation
If + past simple, would have + past participle
- If I were adventurous, I’d have gone backpacking after university.
Describe the past consequence of a present situation
If + past perfect, would + verb
- If we hadn’t missed the flight, we’d be in our hotel by now.
Here are some more examples,
- If I’d studied for a year in the U.S, my English would be fluent now.
- The roads wouldn’t be so icy if it hadn’t rained so much last night.
- If she weren’t so shy, she’d have gone to the party on her own.
- The fans would be miserable now if their team had been relegated.
The third conditional has quite a tricky structure that takes some time and practice to become familiar with. So why not start now by doing a fun quiz.
We make the third conditional by using the past perfect after 'if' and then 'would have' and the past participle in the second part of the sentence:
- if + past perfect, ...would + have + past participle
It talks about the past. It's used to describe a situation that didn't happen, and to imagine the result of this situation.
- If she had studied, she would have passed the exam (but, really we know she didn't study and so she didn't pass)
- If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have felt sick (but I did eat a lot, and so I did feel sick).
- If we had taken a taxi, we wouldn't have missed the plane
- She wouldn't have been tired if she had gone to bed earlier
- She would have become a teacher if she had gone to university
- He would have been on time for the interview if he had left the house at nine
