📘 Giải thích tiếng Việt
Thời gian không thực (unreal time)
Ở trình độ C1–C2, ta dùng quá khứ đơn/tiếp diễn để nói về hiện tại, tương lai hay tình huống chung nhưng mang tính giả định, khó xảy ra; và dùng quá khứ hoàn thành đơn/tiếp diễn cho một quá khứ giả định đã không thật sự xảy ra. Ví dụ: If I were rich… (hiện tại giả định), If I had known… (quá khứ giả định). Trong văn trang trọng, were thường thay cho was, đặc biệt trong If I were you…
imagine / what if / suppose / supposing
Sau các từ này, dùng quá khứ cho tình huống ít khả năng (Supposing you won the lottery…) hoặc quá khứ hoàn thành cho tình huống quá khứ (Suppose you had won…). Nếu dùng hiện tại (Supposing you become…) thì hàm ý khả năng xảy ra cao hơn.
as if / as though
Diễn tả so sánh không có thật: dùng quá khứ cho so sánh không thật ở hiện tại (She acts as if she were rich = thực ra không giàu), quá khứ hoàn thành cho so sánh không thật ở quá khứ. Nếu điều đó có thể là thật, ta dùng thì hiện tại/hiện tại hoàn thành (She looks as if she's rich).
it's (high/about) time & would rather / sooner
It's (high/about) time + quá khứ đơn hàm ý việc gì đó lẽ ra nên làm ngay (It's high time we left). Would rather/sooner + quá khứ chỉ dùng khi nói về mong muốn liên quan đến người khác (I'd rather you didn't smoke); cùng chủ ngữ thì dùng would rather + nguyên mẫu không to.
wish / if only & câu lịch sự
wish/if only + quá khứ cho ước hiện tại/tương lai, + quá khứ hoàn thành cho tiếc nuối quá khứ, + would để phàn nàn/mong người khác thay đổi (I wish they would stop), + could cho khả năng. Dùng hope (không phải wish) cho tương lai có thật. Ngoài ra, quá khứ tiếp diễn (I was wondering whether…) làm câu hỏi, lời đề nghị nghe lịch sự, nhã nhặn hơn.
Tổng điểm: 0/120
Unreal time
- Sometimes we use the past simple and continuous to refer to the present, the future or a general situation.
- Sometimes we use the past perfect simple and continuous to refer to a hypothetical past that didn't actually happen.
Watch out!
- For all of the situations below with the past simple and past continuous, with the verb to be after I and he/she/it, there is a choice of was or were.
I wish I was rich. I wish I were rich. - Both was and were are common in informal English but were is sometimes more appropriate in formal, written English and is always used in the phrase If I were you ...
A
Exercise score: Not checked
Write the verbs in brackets in the correct form in each gap.
The importance of nothing
There is a lateral thinking question which asks: 'If the Romans (1) (have) all the technology we have today, why would they not have been able to get to the moon?' (2) (we / be) to think about this logically, we would probably be unable to come up with a satisfactory reason. However, with lateral thinking, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation. (3) (the Romans / be) as technologically advanced as we are, they would indeed be stuck here on Earth. Why? Because if, 2,000 years ago, they (4) (employ) a Roman centurion to count down their Roman space rocket, he would have started at ten (in Latin, of course), got down to one and then stopped. The Romans had no word for 'zero', so there would have been no 'lift-off'.Of course, the truth is that if these hypothetical Romans (5) (have) the number 'zero', it would be impossible for them to have all our technology. If the concept of zero (6) (develop), we would not have computers today. Modern maths and physics relies absolutely on there being a numeral to represent nothingness. It may seem obvious to us now that zero should exist, but many philosophers in the past were very uncomfortable with the idea. The ancient Greeks tied themselves in logical knots by stating: 'If nothing (7) (be) not a number, then it would be something. And if it (8) (do) become something, then it would no longer be nothing.' If it (9) (be) for an Indian mathematician called Brahmagupta, who knows what would have happened? He wrote the earliest known text stating that zero was a number. If he (10) (do), we might not have set foot on the moon either.
Score: Not checked
B
Write the verbs in brackets in the correct form in each gap to make hypothetical situations.
1 Supposing you (have) the chance to spend a year in space, would you take it?
2 What if we (decide) to run away right now and never come back?
3 Suppose all your friends (say) bad things about you behind your back and you found out. What would you do?
4 Imagine you (have) any money or any means of getting any. What on earth could you do?
5 What if the Internet (invent)! Wouldn't that be weird?
6 Supposing the sun (stop) shining right now, how long would it take for us to realise?
7 Imagine we (just / tell) that a huge meteor was on its way to Earth. What would be the first thing to do?
8 Suppose you (can) travel back in time. Where would you go?
9 What if everyone in the world (speak) the same language?
10 Suppose it (prove) that aliens existed and were living among us!
11 I do realise it'll probably never happen but imagine her song (become) really popular!
12 What if you (give) three wishes by a genie in a bottle? What would you wish for?
13 Supposing you (wake) up one morning and found you'd gone back in time, how would you feel?
14 I know we can't travel faster than the speed of light but suppose for a moment that we (be) able to.
15 Imagine that humans (can) speak. How do you think we'd communicate?
C
Look at the questions that follow each sentence and circle the answer A, B or C which is NOT correct.
1 Why do you always act as if you were better than everyone else, John?
Is John better than everyone else?
Is John better than everyone else?
2 Rod often acts as if he had lots of brothers and sisters.
Does Rod have lots of brothers and sisters?
Does Rod have lots of brothers and sisters?
3 They look as if they've been running fast.
Have they been running fast?
Have they been running fast?
4 There's no need to be frightened of him. Just treat him as if you didn't know he'd spent some time in prison.
Do you know about the time he spent in prison?
Do you know about the time he spent in prison?
5 It was scary! At one point, it felt like we weren't ever going to get out of that jungle alive.
How did you feel in the jungle?
How did you feel in the jungle?
6 Sara looked as if she had just woken up.
How did Sara look?
How did Sara look?
D
Write the verbs in brackets in the correct form in each gap. When a situation is hypothetical or unlikely, use unreal tenses.
1 Dave talks as though he (grow up) in the UK, but he actually only moved here three months ago.
2 I was such a mess when I got home I looked as if I (drag) through a hedge backwards!
3 It was such a bad case of flu that I honestly felt as if I (go) to die.
4 When I saw Corin on TV last night, it felt as if he (do) chat shows for ages. I can't believe this was his first one!
5 Handa looked as if he (have) the worst possible news. In fact, he'd failed his finals.
6 Don't you think Maria sometimes looks as though she (wish) she'd been born in another century?
7 Rupert often dresses as though he (roll) in money but he's actually on the dole.
8 You kids are behaving as if it (be) a school night. It is, you know!
9 How can you sit there as if nothing (happen)?
E
Make each of these statements or questions as polite as possible by using past tenses.
1 What time (you, want) to be woken tomorrow morning?
2 I (look) for an engagement present for a young couple.
3 We (wonder) whether you (want) to go out this evening.
4 Excuse me, sir. (you, plan) to park there for long?
5 (you, wish) to see me about something, Mr Patel?
6 (you, look) for anything in particular?
7 (you, want) milk and sugar in your tea?
8 I (hope) you (give) me a hand tomorrow.
9 How long (you, intend) to stay here?
10 I (wonder) if you (pay) by credit card, madam.
F
Write a verb from the box in the correct form in each gap.
allow buy call do get up give go learn look make start stop
1 It's high time you smoking. It's a disgusting habit!
2 It's time you for a job, young man!
3 I think it's time we a new carpet. This one's got holes in it!
4 It's time for you kids your homework.
5 It's about time the government listening to the views of ordinary people.
6 Wake up, Bonnie. It's time now.
7 Don't you think it's time you a pay rise?
8 It's time for you a partner in the firm; you've been with them for over eight years, after all.
9 It's definitely time I to stay out after ten o'clock at night.
10 It's time for us now, Sammy. Are you ready?
11 Isn't it about time you to drive?
12 Is it a good time Aunty Audrey? What time is it in Australia?
G
Write a word or short phrase in each gap so that each second sentence has a similar meaning to the first sentence.
1 We'd prefer the successful candidate to have previous experience in the field.
We'd rather the successful candidate previous experience in the field.
We'd rather the successful candidate previous experience in the field.
2 Would you prefer me to come back later?
Would you rather later?
Would you rather later?
3 To be honest, I'd prefer you not to tell anyone about this.
To be honest, I'd rather anyone about this.
To be honest, I'd rather anyone about this.
4 I'd prefer us to get a new kitchen rather than go on an expensive holiday.
I'd sooner a new kitchen than on an expensive holiday.
I'd sooner a new kitchen than on an expensive holiday.
5 Dad said he'd prefer Brian to be living nearer home and I agree with him.
Dad said he'd rather Brian nearer home and I agree with him.
Dad said he'd rather Brian nearer home and I agree with him.
6 I would prefer her to be sent on a training course rather than sacked.
I would rather on a training course than sacked.
I would rather on a training course than sacked.
7 I'd prefer us not to talk about this right now, if you don't mind.
I'd sooner about this right now, if you don't mind.
I'd sooner about this right now, if you don't mind.
8 Of course I would have preferred you to tell me the truth!
Of course I would rather me the truth!
Of course I would rather me the truth!
9 I think Jeanne would definitely prefer to have a traditional wedding.
I think Jeanne would definitely rather a traditional wedding.
I think Jeanne would definitely rather a traditional wedding.
10 We would have preferred them not to have stayed so long, that's true.
We would sooner so long, that's true.
We would sooner so long, that's true.
H
Select the correct word or phrase. If both are correct, select both.
1 All of my friends have got mobiles. I wish I ______ one too!
2 Don't you sometimes wish you ______ this company?
3 If only we ______ the map at home!
4 If only we ______ have to go to school tomorrow!
5 I do wish the bus ______. I'm going to be late.
6 Do you ever wish that you ______ really well?
7 There's only really one thing I regret. I wish I could ______ to university but of course, in those days, it just wasn't possible.
8 Excuse me. I wish I ______ to the person in charge.
9 I ______ it snows tomorrow!
10 Why on earth does Geoffrey wish ______ a knighthood?
11 Well, I don't think it's a very sensible business venture, but I do wish you ______.
12 My grandfather always wished that he ______ taller.
13 If only you ______ watching Thomas instead of checking your e-mail. He wouldn't have fallen off the slide then.
14 I do wish the taxi driver ______ so slowly. We're never going to get there!
15 If only Peggy ______ sent off. I'm sure we'd have won the match.
I
Choose the correct answer.
1 Imagine ______ when the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids. How would your life have been different?
2 What if your cat suddenly ______ to you right now? How would you react?
3 Would Rubik have become rich if he ______ the Rubik's Cube?
4 It's high time ______ rid of this old sofa.
5 It's amazing how Jenny acts as though she and Darren ______ serious problems at the moment.
6 ______ either of you want some more dessert?
7 If you ______ to attend the wedding, would you still have to reply to the invitation?
8 Apparently, Lewis would rather we ______ anything special for his 18th birthday next month.
J
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between three and eight words, including the word given.
1 Pauline doesn't want to be given a main part in the school play. rather
Pauline a main part in the school play.
Pauline a main part in the school play.
2 We didn't get to meet the Minister and that was a great shame. only
If to meet the Minister!
If to meet the Minister!
3 Why don't they stop making so much noise downstairs? wish
I making so much noise downstairs!
I making so much noise downstairs!
4 What a shame I didn't see his face when you told him the news. could
I wish his face when you told him the news.
I wish his face when you told him the news.
5 Don't you think they should bring out a new version of MatchPlayer? about
Don't you think it's a new version of MatchPlayer?
Don't you think it's a new version of MatchPlayer?
6 I only knew about the meeting because Cynthia rang me. if
I wouldn't have known about the meeting me.
I wouldn't have known about the meeting me.
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