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Unit 06
Wishes & Hypotheticals
suppose, as if, as though
Unreal & Hypothetical Structures
This unit extends the B1 coverage of I wish/If only by adding Suppose/Supposing and As if/As though — essential for natural, expressive English.
I Wish & If Only — Quick Review
- If only = same grammar as "I wish" but stronger emotion — frustration, longing, sadness.
- If only I hadn't said that! / If only it would snow!
| Type | Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present wish | wish + Past Simple | I wish I had a car. | I don't have one now. |
| Past wish | wish + Past Perfect | I wish I had studied harder. | Regret — I didn't. |
| Future wish | wish + would + base | I wish it would stop raining. | Complaint / hope. |
Suppose / Supposing — Imagining Possibilities
Use Suppose or Supposing to introduce imaginary situations, often followed by a conditional structure.
- Suppose you were invisible — where would you go?
- Supposing we miss the train, we'll take the next one.
| Type | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hypothetical present/future | Suppose + Past Simple | Suppose you won the lottery — what would you buy? |
| Hypothetical past | Suppose + Past Perfect | Suppose you had failed — what would you have done? |
| Real possibility | Suppose + Present Simple | Suppose it rains — what will we do? |
As If / As Though — Unreal Comparisons
Use as if or as though to describe how something seems — even though it is not true. The verb after shifts to the past.
- ⚠ In informal spoken English, Present Simple is sometimes heard: He talks as if he knows. In formal/written English, always use the past form.
| Unreal time | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present unreal | as if + Past Simple | He talks as if he knew everything. |
| Past unreal | as if + Past Perfect | She looks as if she hadn't slept in days. |
| as though + Past Simple | They act as though they were rich. |
As If: Real or Unreal?
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| as if + present | probably true | It looks as if it's going to rain. (dark clouds) |
| as if + past | not true / imaginary | He talks as if he owned the company. (he doesn't) |
| as if + past perfect | imaginary past | She looks as if she had seen a ghost. |
| like (informal) | = as if (spoken) | You look like you need a holiday. |
What If & Imagine
- What if + Past Simple (unreal): What if you lost your passport?
- What if + Present (real worry): What if it rains tomorrow?
- Imagine + Past Simple: Imagine you could fly — where would you go?
Annotated Examples
Subject
Verb
Auxiliary
Object
Adjective
Adverb
Preposition
Hover over any word to see its role.
If onlysubjectIverbhadn't madeobjectthat mistake!
↳ Past regret with stronger emotion — "if only" + Past Perfect.
Supposesubjectyouverblostobjectyour job— what would you do?
↳ Suppose + Past Simple = hypothetical situation.
verbShe looksas ifsubjectsheverbhadn't sleptadverbin days.
↳ As if + Past Perfect — the sleepless state is a past unreal comparison.
Common Mistakes
I wish I will go.
→
I wish I could go.
Present wish → Past Simple (or could), not will.
If only I didn't failed.
→
If only I hadn't failed.
Past regret → hadn't + past participle.
He talks as if he knows. (but he doesn't know)
→
He talks as if he knew.
When the comparison is clearly untrue, use the past: knew. (The present "knows" suggests it might be true.)
I wish it stops raining.
→
I wish it would stop raining.
Complaint about present/future → wish + would.
Suppose I will lose my job.
→
Suppose I lost my job.
Hypothetical → Past Simple: lost.
She looked as if she saw a ghost.
→
She looked as if she had seen a ghost.
Earlier imaginary event → Past Perfect.