An English-Zone.Com Lesson: "If-Clauses" Past Unreal Conditionals

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Past Unreal (Untrue) Conditionals

IF-CLAUSE	RESULT CLAUSE	Explanation:
past perfect tense	would + have + past participle could + have + past participle	if-clause: past perfect result clause: modal +have +past participle
If it had rained yesterday, (It did not rain yesterday.) If I hadn't known his address, (I knew his address.)	I would have needed an umbrella. (I did not need an umbrella.) I couldn't have sent an invitation. (I sent an invitation.)	<-Past Untrue Conditionals are used to talk about situations in the past that were not true. They are used when you want to fantasize about something, or speculate on a situation that didn't happen.
If Jason hadn't been here, (He was here.) If I had been you, (I was not you.)	he couldn't have helped us. (He helped us.) I would have called him. (you did not call him.)	In Past Untrue Conditionals, the "to be" verb is always "had been" in the if-clause, for all subjects: I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.
If I had had $500,	I could have bought some new clothes, or I could have taken a short trip.	When "could" is used in the result clause, it expresses a possibility.
If Cindy had owned a car,	she would have driven to school.	When "would have ___" is used in the result clause, it expresses a certainty. For sure you would have done that.

Compare:Marsha: A) "I bought a car last week. It's a Ford."
Greg: B) "If I had bought a car, I would have bought a Porsche."

Word FORM
(how the word looks) FUNCTION
(how the word works) EXPLANATION:

A) bought past tense verb expresses
past tense In sentence (A), "bought" looks like a past tense verb, and it works like a past tense verb. Marsha now has a car because she bought one.

B) had bought past perfect expresses
a past untrue
situation In sentence (B), "had bought" looks like past perfect, BUT it is expressing a past situation that is not real. Greg did not buy a car. He is talking about his fantasy car.

Now it's Your Turn - Choose one of the exercises below:
If-Then Clauses 5 - practice the if-clause
If-Then Clauses 6 - practice the result-clause

Compare:Marsha: A) "I bought a car last week. It's a Ford." Greg: B) "If I had bought a car, I would have bought a Porsche."
Word	FORM (how the word looks)	FUNCTION (how the word works)	EXPLANATION:
A) bought	past tense verb	expresses past tense	In sentence (A), "bought" looks like a past tense verb, and it works like a past tense verb. Marsha now has a car because she bought one.
B) had bought	past perfect	expresses a past untrue situation	In sentence (B), "had bought" looks like past perfect, BUT it is expressing a past situation that is not real. Greg did not buy a car. He is talking about his fantasy car.