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For today’s English lesson, let’s have a look at three ways we can use a past verb to talk about the present or the future.
Here are the example sentences. To get the details of this English lesson, you need to listen to the podcast or the check the transcript for the details:
- If won the lottery, I would quit this crazy job.
- If Taylor Swift came to my house, I would sing a song with her.
- If it was sunny today, I would go to the beach.
- I think it’s time we went to the deli.
- I think it’s time I got a new computer. This one is too slow.
- I’m going to finish painting this room now. I’d rather you started painting the other room.
- I wish I had better luck!
- I wish I had a bigger apartment.
- These seats in the stadium are really high. I wish were able see the players better.
If you know anyone who might be interested in this English language point, why not help them out! Just share this lesson with them. Thanks for studying today!
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Comments 10
Hi there, Michael! Congrats on this new lesson! However, I have two comments: first, on the audio, both the character and you say IF I WIN instead of IF I WON…; second, when you talk about the expression IT'S TIME, you say it is followed by "a person". Can't I say "it's time the company paid our salaries" or "it's high time our dog started to feel better"?
Sorry if I sound picky, but as a lover of the English language, I try to be attentive to details…
Regards,
João
Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
I wish I had my mom with here
João, You're right. Technically the sentence should be "If I won the lottery, I would quit this crazy job" I'm not sure how that slipped by. As for your second point, you are right. I tend to keep the "rules" very basic when I talk about a grammar point. There are often variations as in your example, but for those listeners who are learning this for the first time, I like to keep things simple. That being said, your examples are great illustrations of the variables:
"It's time the company paid our salaries"
"It's high time our dog started to feel better"
Thanks so much for your input, attention to detail, and support!
Michael
Nice example, Nadia.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi , is this what is called future in the past ?
And is it mostly used for wishing and regreting ?
I like to know more details about this with much of thanks.
Sahar, I think there isn't any special name for these examples. I'm just trying to show that there are some situations where past verbs are used to refer to the present or future.
Future in the past (in capitals): "I didn't go to the movies with you yesterday afternoon because I WOULD GO in the evening. I had already bought the tickets for the later show." Another example: "Why were you nervous this morning? – I was nervous because I WOULD HAVE a test in the afternoon." The fact (the test) is something in the past now, but as I am referring to the morning, it (the test) was still a thing in the future; that is why we sey "future in the past".
João Ghizoni Thanks…good examples. Just FYI…in everyday English, Americans would probably speak this way: "I didn't go to the movies with you yesterday afternoon because I had already bought the tickets for the later show." (rephrased from your example)
"Why were you nervous this morning? – I was nervous because was going to have a test in the afternoon."
Using WOULD + BASE VERB as in those examples is a rarely used form, at least in American English. But, that said, I appreciate your input here. Thanks!
Sorry Micheal you didn't answer my question . Is this expression is used for wishing and regreting ? Or it can be used in other positions ?
Sorry about that. There are three situations. In the "if" sentence, we are using it for imagining. After wish, it is used to talk about our wishes. When we use phrases like it's time or I'd rather, we are talking about our desire for the immediate future. I don't know of other uses.