1. Past Unreal Conditionals
Past unreal conditionals are used to express possibilities in the past. They also contain an if clause and a main clause. The if clause contains if + past perfect, while the main clause contains would/could/might have + a past participle. Take a look at the following past unreal conditionals to get a sense of how they are constructed:
Past Unreal Conditionals
| If Clause | Main Clause | |
| If + Past Perfect | (Then) | Would have + Past Participle |
| If I had found the key, | (then) | I would have driven to school. |
| If I'd found the key, | (then) | I'd have driven to school. |
| If + Past Perfect | (Then) | Could have + Past Participle |
| If I had found the key, | (then) | I could have driven to school. |
| If + Past Perfect | (Then) | Might Have + Past Participle |
| If I had found the key, | (then) | I might have driven to school. |
When the if clause comes first, it is followed by a comma. If the main clause comes first, there is no comma and then is not used.
If I had found the key, (then) I would have driven to school.
I would have driven to school if I had found the key.
Either one of the clauses, or both, can be negative.
If I hadn't found the key, I would have missed school.
If I hadn't found the key, I wouldn't have driven to school.
Questions are formed by putting the main clause in the form of a question.
If you had found the key, would you have driven to school?
Past Wishes
Past Wishes
| Wish Clause | That Clause |
| Simple Present | (That+) Past Perfect |
| I wish | (that) I had taken the course last semester. |
| Simple Present | (That+) Could have + Past participle |
| I wish | (that) you could have come to my dinner party. |
Although that is often omitted after wish, it is always implied.
Exercise
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