8 – Writing Strategies

Unreal Conditionals

Like a real conditional, an unreal conditional is made up of an if clause, or condition, and a main clause, or result. The difference is that the unreal conditional is about something that isn’t real or can’t really happen .If Marv spoke foreign languages, she would travel to foreign countries condition result The example above is an unreal conditional. The truth is that Mary doesn’t speak foreign languages and she doesn’t travel to foreign countries The example above is present unreal conditional. It is about something that is not true in the present. It uses a past tense verb in the if clause, but it is about the present. A present unreal conditional has a past tense verb in the if clause and would + base form verb in the main clause .If Mary traveled to foreign countries, she would learn about foreign cultures past tense verb would + base form A past unreal conditional is about something that wasn’t true in the past. It uses a past perfect verb in the if clause and would + have + past participle in the main clause .If Mary had studied a foreign language in school, she would have learned it well past perfect verb would + have+ past participle The sentence above is unreal. The truth is that Mary didn’t study a foreign language in school and she didn’t learn it well

: Practice

Read this paragraph from a student essay. Complete each blank with the correct form of the verb in parentheses

I didn’t study a foreign language in primary school, and I am sorry about that. If I N1.…………..(have) the opportunity to study a language then, I N2.…………..(study) French. It is a beautiful language, and it is spoken in many countries. If I N3.…………..(study) French in primary school, I N4.…………..(learn) it well. Unfortunately,that didn’t happen. I studied French at the university and I don’t speak it very well. If I  N5.…………..(know) French well now, I N6.…………..(read) French newspapers and magazines. If I N7.…………..(speak) French with confidence, I N8.…………..(travel) to French-speaking countries frequently

:Answers

N1. had had N2. would have studied N3. had studied N4. would have learned N5. knew N6. would read N7. spoke N8. would travel