Joy English · Level C2 · Unreal pastjoy-english.com

Unreal past forms and inverted conditionals

Name:Date:

Use past forms for present or future unreality and drop if by inverting should, were and had.

Choose the correct form

Choose the option that completes each sentence correctly.

It's high time the council ___ the road before someone is injured.
- a) repaired
- b) repairs
- c) will repair
- d) repairing
I'd rather you ___ the windows closed while the paint dries.
- a) to keep
- b) will keep
- c) kept
- d) keeping
At the meeting she spoke as if she ___ the project herself, although it was her predecessor's.
- a) leads
- b) has led
- c) would lead
- d) had led
___ for the generosity of a few donors, the museum would have closed.
- a) But
- b) Besides
- c) Unless
- d) Despite
___ it not been for the early warning, many more people would have been affected.
- a) Have
- b) Were
- c) Had
- d) Should
___ you require further information, please contact the office.
- a) Would
- b) Should
- c) Had
- d) Were
Suppose you ___ the chance to live anywhere, where would you choose?
- a) are given
- b) were given
- c) would be given
- d) have given
Were Nadia ___ see the final report, she would be astonished.
- a) to
- b) for
- c) so
- d) about

Type the missing word or words.

It's about time we ___ (start) thinking about a long-term solution.
I'd rather you ___ told anyone about the results before the announcement; it's too late now.
The lecturer spoke as though the audience ___ already read the paper, which few had.
___ it not for his constant encouragement, I would have given up long ago.
___ the budget been approved earlier, the bridge would be finished by now.
Were the company ___ (close) its factory, hundreds of workers would lose their jobs.
But ___ the quick thinking of the pilot, the flight would have ended badly.
Supposing you ___ (win) a large prize tomorrow, what would you do with it?

a) repairedIt's high time is followed by a past simple verb that refers to now: repaired.
c) keptWould rather + a different subject takes the past simple for present or future wishes.
d) had ledAs if with a past event that did not happen takes the past perfect.
a) ButBut for + noun means "if it had not been for".
c) HadHad it not been for replaces if it had not been for.
b) ShouldShould you require is a formal replacement for if you require.
b) were givenSuppose + past simple introduces an unreal situation, matching would choose.
a) toWere + subject + to + infinitive is the inverted form of if + subject + were to.

startedAfter it's about time, use the past simple.
hadn't / had notTo regret a past action, use would rather + past perfect: hadn't told.
hadAs though + past perfect expresses an unreal past situation.
wereWere it not for means "if it were not for". His encouragement is ongoing, so it can combine with a past result (a mixed conditional); for a purely past condition, use Had it not been for.
hadHad + subject + past participle replaces if the budget had been approved.
to closeWere + subject + to + infinitive replaces if the company were to close.
forBut for + noun means "if it had not been for".
won / were to winSupposing takes the past simple, or were to + infinitive, for a hypothetical future.