The unreal past

THE UNREAL PAST

The past tense in English is sometimes used not for the past, but as an unreal past. This means that the unreal past is used for situations that are unreal, usually in the present but also in the future. We typically use the unreal past to indicate that what we are talking or writing about is something we wish for or is something hypothetical, imagined, a preference or to be polite.

1. CONDITIONALS

7. AS THOUGH

STRUCTURES

2. IMAGINE

8. IT'S (HIGH) TIME

3. WHAT IF

9. I WISH

10. IF ONLY

4. SUPPOSE

11. WOULD RATHER / SOONER

5. SUPPOSING

6. AS IF

12. QUESTIONS AND REQUESTS

“Supposing a tree fell down when we were underneath it?” said Piglet “Supposing it didn’t” said Pooh after careful thought.

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