Text: 10 Poisonous Foods we like to eat

Grammar: Conditional sentence 2 (If I knew ... I wish I knew ...)

Study this example situation:

Sarah wants to phone Paul, but she can't do this because she doesn't know his number. She says:

If I knew his number, I would phone him. Sarah says: If I knew his number .... This tells us that she doesn't know his number. She is imagining the situation. The real situation is that she doesn't know his number.

When you imagine a situation like this, you use if + past (if I knew / if you were / if we didn't etc.). But the meaning is present, not past:

Tom would read more if he had more time, (but he doesn't have much time)

If I didn't want to go to the party, I wouldn't go. (but I want to go)

We wouldn't have any money if we didn't work, (but we work)

If you were in my position, what would you do?

It's a pity you can't drive. It would be useful if you could.

We use the past in the same way after wish (I wish I knew /1 wish you were etc.). We use wish to say that we regret something, that something is not as we would like it to be:

I wish I knew Paul's phone number. (= I don't know it and I regret this)

Do you ever wish you could fly?

It's very crowded here. I wish there weren't so many people, (there are a lot of people)

I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow, but unfortunately I do.

I wish I had an umbrella.

If I were / if I was

After if and wish, you can use were instead of was (if I were ...II wish it were etc.). I was / it was are also possible. So you can say:

If I were you, I wouldn't buy that coat. or If I was you, ...

I'd go out if it weren't so cold. or ... if it wasn't so cold.

I wish Carol were here. or I wish Carol was here.

We do not normally use would in the, if part of the sentence or after wish: If I were rich, I would have a yacht, {not If I would be rich)

I wish I had something to read, {not I wish I would have)

Sometimes wish ... would is possible: I wish you would listen.

Could sometimes means 'would be able to' and sometimes 'was/were able to': You could get a better job (you could get = you would be able to get) if you could use a computer, (you could use = you were able to use)

Exercises:

Put the verb into the correct form.

1 If I..........(k now) his number, I would phone him.

2 I.......... (not / buy) that coat if I were you.

3 I............................(help) you if I could, but I'm afraid I can't.

4 We would need a car if we.........................................(live) in the country.

5 If we had the choice, we.................................. (live) in the country.

6 This soup isn't very good. It..................... (taste) better if it wasn't so salty.

7 I wouldn't mind living in England if the weather ..................... (be) better.

8 If I were you, I................ (not/ wait). I............................(go) now.

9 You're always tired. If you..................(not / go) to bed so late every night, you

wouldn't be tired all the time.

10 1 think there are too many cars. If there................... (not / be) so many cars,

there...................(not / be) so much pollution.

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