Lesson 4 Different Structures of Sentences that Express Unreal Events

1. To add emphasis to hypothetical situations the conjunction «if only» is used. With past events it adds a sense of regret. The second part of the sentence is often left out.

e.g. If only I had enough time!

If only I hadn't drunk too much, this wouldn’t have happened!

2. The condition may be introduced by the construction «but for», which replaces «if not» making the condition implied. It is used in formal language, and must be followed by a noun form. The construction is translated as «если бы не что-то/ кто-то»:

e.g. If you hadn't helped us, we wouldn't have been in trouble.

But for your help, we wouldn't have been in trouble.

But for the rain we should go to the country.

But for you I should have been late.

3. The implied condition may be introduced by «if it were not for» and «if it hadn't been for», which describe how one event depends on another.

e.g. If it were not for Jim, this company would be in a mess.

If it hadn't been for their goalkeeper, the United would have lost.

4. The implied condition may be introduced by the conjunction «otherwise», “or else”, “or” meaning «or if not». It can go at the beginning or end of the sentence.

e.g. If you hadn't given us directions, we wouldn't have found the house.

Thanks for your directions to the house. We wouldn't have found it otherwise.

5. The term «understood conditions» has appeared recently. The conditional part of these sentences is often understood but not stated directly and is introduced by “imagine”, «suppose» mostly.

e.g. Imagine we won the pools! (Imagine what we would do if..)

Suppose someone told you that I was a spy! (What would you say?)

Note: if the event referred to is a real possibility rather than imaginary, a present tense is possible.

e.g. Suppose it starts raining, what’ll we do?

Lesson 5 Other Uses of the Oblique Moods

The Oblique mood forms are used not only in sentences with subordinate clauses of unreal condition, but in other different subordinate clauses: subject, object, predicative, adverbial clauses of purpose, comparison, manner, concession, time and place, attributive clauses. In these clauses the Oblique mood forms don’t refer an action described to the present, past or future. They only indicate that the action in the subordinate clause either coincides in time with the action of the verb in the principal clause or precedes it. Therefore, the action in the subordinate clause may be either simultaneous with or prior to the action in the principal clause. The verb in the principal clause is generally used in one of the forms of the Indicative Mood.

Simultaneousness. When the action of the subordinate clause is simultaneous with that of the principal clause non-perfect forms are used:

Present Subjunctive II :

I wish I were at home now.

I wished I were at home then.

She looked as if she were ill.

The Suppositional Mood:

It is necessary that I should answer the question.

Priority. When the action in the subordinate clause is prior to the action in the principal clause the perfect forms are used:

Past Subjunctive II:

I wish I had been with my friends.

You look as if you had seen a ghost.

You looked as if you had never seen me.

The Suppositional Mood:

It is strange that you should have said it.