Future ConditionalsFuture Real ConditionalFORM[If / When ... Simple Present ..., ... Simple Future ...][... Simple Future ... if / when ... Simple Present ...]Notice that there is no future in the if- or when-clause.USEThe Future Real Conditional describes what you think you will do in a specific situation in the future. It is different from other Real Conditional forms because, unlike the present or the past, you do not know what will happen in the future. Although this form is called "real", you are usually imagining or guessing about the future. It is called "real" because it is still possible that the action might occur in the future. Carefully study the following examples and compare them to the Future Unreal Conditional examples further down the page.Examples: If Igoto my friend's house for dinner tonight, Iwill takea bottle of wine or some flowers.I am still not sure if I will go to his house or not. When Ihavea day off from work, Iam going to goto the beach.I have to wait until I have a day off. If the weatherisnice, sheis going to walkto work.It depends on the weather. Jerrywill helpme with my homework when hehastime.I have to wait until he has time. Iam going to readif thereisnothing on TV.It depends on the TV schedule. A: Whatareyougoing to doif itrains?B: Iam going to stayat home.IMPORTANT If / WhenBoth "if" and "when" are used in the Future Real Conditional, but the use is different from other Real Conditional forms. In the Future Real Conditional, "if" suggests that you do not know if something will happen or not. "When" suggests that something will definitely happen at some point; we are simply waiting for it to occur. Notice also that theSimple Futureis not used inif-clausesorwhen-clauses.Examples: Whenyou call me, I will give you the address.You are going to call me later, and at that time, I will give you the address. Ifyou call me, I will give you the address.If you want the address, you can call me.Future Unreal ConditionalFORM 1 (Most Common Form)[If ... Simple Past ..., ... would + verb ...][... would + verb ... if ... Simple Past ...]Notice that this form looks the same asPresent Unreal Conditional.USEThe Future Unreal Conditional is used to talk about imaginary situations in the future. It is not as common as the Future Real Conditional because English speakers often leave open the possibility that anything MIGHT happen in the future. It is only used when a speaker needs to emphasize that something is impossible. Because this form looks like Present Unreal Conditional, many native speakers prefer Form 2 described below.Examples: If Ihada day off from work next week, Iwould goto the beach.I don't have a day off from work. I am busy next week. If Ihadtime, Iwould cometo your party.I can't come. Jerrywould helpme with my homework tomorrow if hedidn't haveto work.He does have to work tomorrow.FORM 2[If ... were + present participle ..., ... would be + present participle ...][... would be + present participle ... if ... were + present participle ...]USEForm 2 of the Future Unreal Conditional is also used to talk about imaginary situations in the future. Native speakers often prefer this form over Form 1 to emphasize that the conditional form is in the future rather than the present. Also notice in the examples below that this form can be used in the if-clause, the result, or both parts of the sentence.Examples: If Iwere goingto Fiji next week, Iwould be takingmy scuba diving gear with me.In if-clause and resultI am not going to go to Fiji and I am not going to take my scuba gear with me. If Iwere not visitingmy grandmother tomorrow, Iwould helpyou study.In if-clauseI am going to visit my grandmother tomorrow. I am busy next week. If Ihadtime, Iwould be comingto your party.In resultI am not going to come to your party.FORM 3[If ... were going to + verb ..., ... would be + present participle ...][... would be + present participle ... if ... were going to + verb ...]USEForm 3 of the Future Unreal Conditional is a variation of Form 2 which is also used to talk about imaginary situations in the future. Notice that this form is only different from Form 2 in the if-clause. Native speakers use Form 3 to emphasize that the conditional form is a plan or prediction in the same way "be going to" is used to indicate a plan or prediction.Examples: If Iwere going to goto Fiji next week, I would be taking my scuba diving gear with me.I am not going to go to Fiji and I am not going to take my scuba gear with me. If Iwere not going to visitmy grandmother tomorrow, I would help you study.I am going to visit my grandmother tomorrow.IMPORTANT Only use "If"Only the word "if" is used with the Past Unreal Conditional because you are discussing imaginary situations. "When" cannot be used.Examples: I would buy that computer tomorrowwhenit were cheaper.Not Correct I would buy that computer tomorrowifit were cheaper.CorrectEXCEPTION Conditional with Modal VerbsThere are some special conditional forms for modal verbs in English:would + can = couldwould + shall = shouldwould + may = mightThe words "can," "shall" and "may" cannot be used with "would." Instead, they must be used in these special forms.Examples: If I went to Egypt next year, Iwould can learnArabic. Unfortunately, that's not possible.Not Correct If I went to Egypt next year, Icould learnArabic. Unfortunately, that's not possible.CorrectThe words "could," should," "might" and "ought to" include conditional, so you cannot combine them with "would."Examples: If I didn't have to work tonight, Iwould could goto the fitness center.Not Correct If I didn't have to work tonight, Icould goto the fitness center.CorrectFuture Real Conditional vs. Future Unreal ConditionalTo help you understand the difference between the Future Real Conditional and the Future Unreal Conditional, compare the examples below:Examples: If youhelpme move tomorrow, Iwill buyyou dinner.Future Real ConditionalI don't know if you can help me. If youhelpedme move tomorrow, Iwould buyyou dinner.Future Unreal ConditionalYou can't help me, or you don't want to help me.EXERCISES AND RELATED TOPICS Conditional Exercise 7tests your knowledge of Future Real Conditional Conditional Exercise 8tests your knowledge of Future Real Conditional vs. Future Unreal Conditional

Mixed ConditionalsThose of you who have been following the Conditional Tutorial should now be familiar with present, past and future conditional verb forms. Sometimes Unreal Conditional sentences are mixed. This means that the time in the if-clause is not the same as the time in the result. Study the examples below to learn how to mix conditional verb forms like a native speaker.Verbs in green are in the Present Unreal Conditional.Verbs in red are in the Past Unreal Conditional.Verbs in purple are in the Future Unreal Conditional.Mixed Conditional PatternsPASTPRESENT

Examples: If Ihad wonthe lottery, Iwould berich.But I didn't win the lottery in the past and I am not rich now. If Ihad takenFrench in high school, Iwould havemore job opportunities.But I didn't take French in high school and I don't have many job opportunities. If shehad been bornin the United States, shewouldn't needa visa to work here.But she wasn't born in the United States and she does need a visa now to work here.PASTFUTURE

Examples: If shehad signedup for the ski trip last week, shewould be joiningus tomorrow.But she didn't sign up for the ski trip last week and she isn't going to join us tomorrow. If Markhad gottenthe job instead of Joe, hewould be movingto Shanghai.But Mark didn't get the job and Mark is not going to move to Shanghai. If Darrenhadn't wastedhis Christmas bonus gambling in Las Vegas, hewould goto Mexico with us next month.But Darren wasted his Christmas bonus gambling in Las Vegas and he won't go to Mexico with us next month.PRESENTPAST

Examples: If Iwererich, Iwould have boughtthat Ferrari we saw yesterday.But I am not currently rich and that is why I didn't buy the Ferrari yesterday. If SamspokeRussian, hewould have translatedthe letter for you.But Sam doesn't speak Russian and that is why he didn't translate the letter. If Ididn't haveto work so much, Iwould have goneto the party last night.But I have to work a lot and that is why I didn't go to the party last night.PRESENTFUTURE

Examples: If Ididn't haveso much vacation time, Iwouldn't gowith you on the cruise to Alaska next week.But I do have a lot of vacation time and I will go on the trip next week. If Cindyweremore creative, the companywould sendher to New York to work on the new advertising campaign.But Cindy is not creative and the company won't send her to New York to work on the new campaign. If Danweren'tso nice, hewouldn't be tutoringyou in math tonight.But Dan is nice and he is going to tutor you tonight.FUTUREPAST

Examples: If Iweren't goingon my business trip next week, Iwould have acceptedthat new assignment at work.But I am going to go on a business trip next week, and that is why I didn't accept that new assignment at work. If my parentsweren't comingthis weekend, Iwould have planneda nice trip just for the two of us to Napa Valley.But my parents are going to come this weekend, and that is why I didn't plan a trip for the two of us to Napa Valley. If Donnaweren't makingus a big dinner tonight, Iwould have suggestedthat we go to that nice Italian restaurant.But she is going to make us a big dinner tonight, and that is why I didn't suggest that we go to that nice Italian restaurant.FUTUREPRESENT

Examples: If Iwere goingto that concert tonight, Iwould bevery excited.But I am not going to go to that concert tonight and that is why I am not excited. If Sandywere givinga speech tomorrow, shewould bevery nervous.But Sandy is not going to give a speech tomorrow and that is why she in not nervous. If Sebdidn't comewith us to the desert, everyonewould bevery disappointed.But Seb will come with us to the desert and that is why everyone is so happy.

Learning English

When to use 'will', 'shall', 'would' and 'should'

Olga NovikovafromRussiaasks:

I use the BBC site and your English language difficulties explanations very often and it helps me a lot. The problem with general teaching is that sometimes teachers don't pay attention to the small puzzles and difficulties and students have to study them for themselves. I have one question which none of my teachers could answer clearly. Here it is. What is the semantic difference betweenwillandshall,wouldandshouldin modern English? Is there any difference at all and, if so, what is it?

Roger replies:more questions

There is a lot to comment on in reply to this question. I will try to cover some of the major aspects of usage ofwillandshall,wouldandshould, but to try to cover them all would be too much for one reply.

1. There is no semantic difference whenshallandwillare used to refer to the simple future.Willcan be used in all persons. In informal spoken English, remember that the affirmative contraction is'lland the negative contraction iswon't. There is no contracted form in the interrogative. Examples of usage might be: 'The Governmentwillconsider lowering the age of consent from 16 to 15.' (formal) 'I don't know if I can come, but I'lllet you know by Thursday.' (informal) 'Wherewillyou be on Thursday?Willyou be at home?' (informal)Shallis also sometimes used in the first person when it has the same meaning aswill. In informal spoken English, the affirmative contraction is again'lland the negative contracted form isshan't. 'Ishallnever finish this essay - I've still got 2,000 words to write!' 'I'llnever finish this homework - I'm tired and I want to go to bed!' 'Ishan'tever be good enough to go to university - I just haven't got the brains!'Shallis often used in questions in the first person singular and plural when making suggestions, making an offer or asking for advice: 'Shallwe go out for dinner tonight?' 'ShallI get more tomato juice when I'm at the supermarket?' 'Whatshallwe do now? We're clearly not going to get there by nightfall.'However, when we want to express a strong intention to do something, we usewillor'llin the first person singular and plural: 'Is that somebody at the door? I'lljust go and see who it is.' 'We'llget the cakes for the coffee morning tomorrow, Jane.' 'No, no. Iwill. I'm the hostess, after all.'

2. There are three uses ofshouldandwould. Referring to the present or future,shouldis often used as an alternative toshallin connection with requests for advice or instruction: 'What do you think Ishoulddo now?ShouldI write him a letter, send him an e-mail, orshouldI try to phone him up?'Shouldis often used to talk about obligation and duty as an alternative to 'ought to': 'If you are still infectious, youshouldstay at home. Youshouldn'tbe out and about, infecting everybody you meet.' 'You reallyshouldopen a bank account. Youshouldn'tkeep so much money in the house.' 'People with fierce dogsshouldkeep them on a leash at all times.'Shouldis used after if when a slight possibility is suggested. 'If youshouldsee her at the anniversary concert, do give her my best regards.' 'If Ishouldbump into Tony, do you want me to remind him that he still owes you one hundred pounds?'

3.Would(or the contracted form'd) is sometimes used as an alternative to 'used to' when discussing past habits: 'When we were young, wewouldspend (we'dspend) every summer holiday at the sea-side.' 'Youwouldfind him (you'dfind him) sitting at the bar every lunchtime, drinking that strong black beer and chatting to the bartender until one day he was there no longer.'Wouldis also used to make polite requests: 'Wouldyou be prepared to do all this work by yourself without any assistance?' 'Wouldyou (be so kind as to) pick Jennifer up from school on Monday?'Would(or its contracted form'din conversational English) is also associated with the conditional in its simple, progressive, perfect and passive aspects: 'There's no doubt about it. Iwoulddefinitely (I'ddefinitely) travel to Mexico with you, if I could afford it.' 'Youwouldstill be (you'dstill be) working for the World Bank, if you hadn't kicked up such a fuss.' 'Iwouldhave told you (I'dhave told you) all about it, if you had phoned me.' 'If you wore smarter clothes, youwouldbe invited (you'dbe invited) to all the press conferences.'

Planned future actions

TimurfromBelaruswrites:

Are there any differences in the use ofpresent progressive, future progressiveandbe going tofor planned future actions? Can you give me more examples of when we should use future progressive?

Roger Woodhamreplies:

be going to: I'm going to visit my cousins in Leeds over the coming weekend.future progressive: I'll be visiting my cousins in Leeds over the coming weekend.present progressive: I'm visiting my cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.We can use all three of these forms to talk about planned future actions, Timur, and there is not a great deal of difference between them.I'm visitingmy cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.The present progressive is most used for arrangements in the near future, usually when time and place have already been decided:What are you doing after the lesson?I'm meeting Ronnie for a coffee.Where are you meeting him?.I'm meeting him under the clock at Victoria Station.What are you doing tonight?I'm staying in. I've got loads of emails to reply to.I'll be visitingmy cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.Thefuture progressiveis also used to refer to planned future events. We often use it to make polite enquiries about people's plans:Will you be staying in tonight?No I won't. I'm going out. I have to see Brian to plan the trip to Greece.Will you be staying in Bristol for very long?No, just for a few days. Then we're moving on to Cardiff.We can also use thefuture progressivefor making predictions about what will happen over a period of time in the future:This time next year I shall be working for Gabriel in Brazil.While you're revising for your exams, I shall be relaxing on a beach but I will be thinking of you!Note that while we can usefuture progressiveandbe going to futurefor making predictions, we cannot use thepresent progressivein this way:Look at those dark clouds. It will be raining here very soonLook at those dark clouds. It's going to rain here before long.(BUT NOT: Look at those dark clouds. It's raining here before long.)I'm going to visitmy cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.If we put it this way, we are focusing our attention onintentionsrather than on previous arrangements. Thus,be going tois used to talk about bothpredictionsandintentions:They're going to get married some time next year. ~ When? ~ They're planning to get married in the summer, I think, but there's no date yet.Have you noticed that Irene seems to be putting on weight? Haven't you heard? She's going to have a baby.They're going to win this match. They're three - nil up and there's only ten minutes left to play.I'm to visitmy cousins in Leeds over this coming weekend.Note that we use thebe to futureto refer to arrangements that have been madeon our behalf, often of an official nature:The Prince is to visit three inner-city schools and to open the new wing of the hospital before he takes his Easter holiday.Sven-Goran Eriksson is to manage the England team until 2008. He signed a new contract yesterday.

The future and the future seen from the past

Siegfried Leistner from Germany writes:Can you please explain the difference in meaning between:I'm leaving tomorrow.I'll leave tomorrow.I'll be leaving tomorrow.I'm going to leave tomorrow.Thank you very much for your replyBjoco from Romania writes:I have a sentence whose meaning is not clear to me:I was going to call you. Why doesn't the speaker say:I wanted to call you?

Roger Woodhamreplies:

I'll reply to the second question first.You could say:I wanted to call you,Bjoco. The meaning is roughly the same although if you usewanted, the idea of the speaker's intention of calling is not so strong. Closer equivalents would be:I intended to call you / I was intending to call you.The future seen from the pastSometimes when we are discussing past events, we want to refer to something that wasin the future at that time. In order to express this idea, we can use the past tenses of the verbs we would normally use to talk about the future. Thus,is going to > was going to I'm going toleave Britain to start a new life in Canada. >When I heard thatshe was going toleave Britain to start a new life in Canada, I was quite upset.Other future verb forms change in the same way:present progressive > past progressive: We're meetingJane outside the town hall at three o' clock. >We left school before the classes were over becausewe were meetingJane outside the town hall at three o' clock.will > would If I play my CDs while I'm working, itwon'tdisturb you,willit? >I didn't think my musicwoulddisturb her, but it did.future progressive: will + be + verb-ing > would + be + verb-ing: Don't phone them now,they'll be havingsupper. I didn't want to phone them at that time because I thoughtthey would be havingsupper.future perfect: will have + past participle > would have + past participle: I'll have finishedwriting up this report by noon, so we will be able to watch the tennis this afternoon. I thoughtI would have finishedthat report by noon and then we could have watched the tennis, but it took longer than expected.is to be > was to be; is about to > was about to: The factoryis to be closed downand all the work (is to be)transferredto Germany. I was on holiday in Greece when I heard that the factorywas to be closed down. Please take your seats, ladies and gentlemen. The performanceis about to begin. We weren't able to finish our drinks. We had to take our seats as the performancewas about to begin

Now for your question, Siegfried.Talking about the futureWhen we want to refer to the future itself, we tend to use thepresent progressive, future progressiveandgoing to futurefor things that are already decided or fairly certain to happen: Weshan't be goingto Glastonbury for the festival this year.We're going toVal and Keith's wedding instead.It's being heldin a castle in Ireland. I'm going togive the house a thorough clean this weekend. It's absolutely filthy.We use thewill / shall futurefor things which are much more open or have not already been decided: What will you haveto drink? ~I'll havea cappuccino and one of those sticky buns. I've got a hospital appointment this afternoon. ~I'll comewith you, if you like. I'm quite worried about it. ~ Don't worry. I'm sureit'll beall right.

Learning English

Using the conditional

Olegfromthe Ukraineasks:

Could you please tell me the rule for usingshouldin questions like this: 'Should you have any problems, feel free to contact me.' What does it mean? And how does it differ from: 'If you have any questions, please contact me?'

Roger replies:more questions

These two sentences are very similar in meaning. But 'Should you have...' or 'If you should have...' may be used in preference to 'If you have...' if we want to suggest a slight possibility of something happening or when we are making suggestions or giving advice. Compare: 'Ifyouhaveany free time, make sure you visit the old town.' (It's possible, or even likely, that you may have some free time.) 'Ifyoushouldhave any free time, make sure you visit the old town.' (I don't really expect you will have any free time, but if you do...) 'Shouldyou fail this exam, you can always re-take it next year.' (I think it's unlikely, but it's possible you may fail it and if you do...) 'Ifyou fail this exam, you can always re-take it next year.' (I'm just pointing this out to you. I don't have a strong opinion on the matter one way or the other.)

Note that for a condition that is generally true, as in all the examples above, we useifplus the present simple in the subordinate clause and the present simple again in the main clause:If+ PRESENT SIMPLE , PRESENT SIMPLELook at these examples: 'I get indigestion,ifIeattoo quickly.' 'IfI go on a diet andlosesome weight, I invariablyputit backonagain afterwards.' 'Ifshestaysup late, she alwaysoversleepsthe next day.' 'Ifyou'renot sure about the meaning,useyour dictionary to look up any unknown words.'With this type of condition, we could often usewheneverorwheninstead ofif.

This is distinct from thewillcondition when we are predicting a likely result in the future and thinking about specific instances. With this type of condition, we haveifplus the present simple in the subordinate clause andwill/won't, or sometimesgoing to, in the main clause:If+ PRESENT SIMPLE,will/won't/going toFUTURE REFERENCELook at these examples:' Ifwehurry, we'llget the 12 o' clock train.' 'It's quite simple.Ifhetakesthe antibiotics, he'llget better.Ifhedoesn't, hewon't.' 'Iftheywinthe lottery, they'regoing todonate all the money to good causes. That much is already decided.'

Note also that except for the above usage ofshould, we do not normally usewouldorshould(orshallorwill, see above) withifin the subordinate clause. For thewouldcondition, when we are talking about something unreal or unlikely in the present or future, we normally useifplus the past simple in subordinate clause andwould/should/'din the main clause:If+ PAST SIMPLE ,would/should/'dPRESENT/FUTURELook at these examples: 'Evenifhe offeredme a million pounds, Ishouldstillrefuseto work for him.' 'Ifwe stopped advertising our products, nobodywouldbuy them.' 'If I had longer holidays in the winter,I'd goto places like South Africa or South America.' 'IfI knew how to reach her, I'dcontacther straightaway.'However, there is one exception to this general rule. If we are talking about willingness to do something, then it is possible to usewould, as an alternative to the past simple, in theifclause: 'Ifyouwouldonly tell me what the problem was, Iwould helpyou to find a solution.' 'Ifyouwouldhelp me with the painting, wewould finishdecorating this room today.'

Learning English

gonna, gotta, wanna and dunno

Daniel HaieckfromSan LuisinArgentinawrites:I would like to know please under what circumstances we should usewannaandgonna, and what exactly they mean. Thank you.

Roger Woodhamreplies:

wanna / gonnaWannaandgonnaare frequently used in speech in informal colloquial English, particularly American English, instead ofwant toandgoing to. You will also see them used in writing in quotes of direct speech to show the conversational pronunciation ofwant toandgoing to.Gonnato express thegoing toform of the future is used with first second and third person singular and plural. Note that in the interrogative,areis omitted in second person singular and first and second person plural What wegonnado now? (= What are we going to do now?) Don't know about you two. I'mgonnaput my feet up and take a break. We'regonnacarry on and try and get there before dark. What's hegonnawear on his wedding day?~ Idunno. But he'sgonnalook real smart.Wannacan be used with all persons singular and plural, except third person singular. This is becausewannascans withI want to,you want to,we want to,they want to, but not withhe/she wants towhere the finalsis too intrusive: What youwannado now? (Instead of: What do you want to do now?) Iwannago home. My mum and dad are waiting for me and theywannago out. You'll never give up gambling. I'm sure of that. ~ Youwannabet?(which means: Do you want to place a bet on that?)a wannabeeThis term derives originally from the US, but is now used extensively in British English.Awannabee(literally awant-to-be) is someone who is trying to copy somebody else. Usually the person they are trying to copy is somebody famous. Scores of Britney Spearswannabeesraided the shops where she had bought her latest outfit.

gottaGottais used in a similar way togonnaandwanna, in this case to show the conversational pronunciation ofhave got to, or as informal alternativesto have toormust. It is not so much used in the interrogative: Don't go out there tonight. It's really dangerous. ~A man'sgottado what a man'sgottado Igotta/ I'vegottaphone home right now. My mum'll be worried. Yougotta/ You'vegottaget changed right away. The match starts in five minutes.

dunnoDunno, meaningI don't knowis characteristic of very informal speech in British English. Note that the word stress in this expression is on the second syllable, whereas withgonna,gottaandwannait is on the first syllable. Are you going to college when you leave school? ~Dunno! Will you quit your job if they re-locate to Manchester?~ Idunno.

When to use these expressionsYou don't ever need to use these forms actively yourself, Daniel, as a language learner. They may sound too informal if you do, although if other native speakers of English around you are using them, there is probably no reason why you shouldn't use them too, as you 'grow into them.' It is, of course, important to recognise and understand them.Gotta, wanna and gonna in the history of popular musicGotta,wannaandgonnahave been used regularly in the titles and lyrics or popular songs since the 1950s or even earlier.

Learning English

should and should have, would and would have, could and could have

Danilo Gomez BarbosafromColumbiawrites:Could you please explain the difference between the modal auxiliary verbsshould, couldandwouldand how they are used? Thanks for your help.AsimfromPakistanwrites:I still feel some complication in understanding these modals:would have, should haveandcould have. Please give me some examples to help me understand.

Roger Woodhamreplies:

shouldShouldis used to give advice and make recommendations and to talk about obligation, duty and what is expected to happen. Reference is to the present and the future.Shouldis similar tomustbut is not as strong asmust: You shouldalways wear ahelmetwhen you go out cycling on busy roads. Once the pack is opened, the cooked meat insideshouldbeconsumedwithin three days. Should I tell herthat her son is playing truant and skipping school? ~ I thinkyou should.She should knowabout it.

should and should haveShould combines with the perfect infinitive to formshould have+ past participle when we want to talk aboutpast events that did not happen, butshould have happened. We are talking about an expectation and referring back to past time. Compare the following:Before Tom leaves for work, his wife advises him: You should takeyour umbrella. It might rain. ~ No, I'll be all right. I shan't need it.

But it did rain. When he arrives back home, his wife says: What did I tell you?You should have takenyour umbrella. Then you wouldn't have got wet.

Reference to the present and future: You should tryand smoke less, Henry. Your health isn't very good and it's getting worse.

Reference to the past: I should havegiven up smoking years ago, Mary. If I had, I wouldn't be in such bad shape now.

wouldIf we want to talk about an unreal or unlikely situation that might arise now or in the future, we use apast tensein theif-clauseandwould + infinitivein themain clause. Compare the following and note thatwouldis often abbreviated to'd: Howwould you manage, if I wasn't here to help you? ~I'd managesomehow.I wouldn't botherto cook.I'd go outto eat or bring home a take-away.I'd askyour mother to help me with the washing and the ironing. I knowshe'd helpme.would haveIf we want to refer to the past and make a statement about things that did not happen, we need to usehad + past participlein theif clauseandwould haveconstructions in themain clause.Note in these sentences that we can use'das the abbreviation for bothhadin the if-clause andwouldin the main clause: If he'd taken an umbrella,he wouldn't have gotwet on the way home. If he'd taken his umbrella,he'd have stayeddry.

couldCouldcan be used to ask for permission, to make a request and express ability in the past. Compare the following: Could Iborrow your black dress for the formal dinner tomorrow? ~ Of course you can! Could youdo me a favour and pick Pete up from the station? ~ Of course I will! I couldalreadyswimby the time I was three. ~ Could you really? I couldn't swim until I was eight.could haveAs withwould have, andshould have, could haveis used to talk about the past and refers to things that people could have done in the past, but didn't attempt to do or succeed in doing: I could have goneto university, if I'd passed my exams. If he'd trained harder, I'm surehe could havecompletedthe swim.Note the difference betweenwould haveandcould havein the following two examples.Would haveindicates certainty that he would have won if he had tried harder,could haveindicates that it is a possibility.Might haveis similar in meaning to could have, although the possibility is perhaps not quite as great: If he'd tried a bit harder,he would have wonthe race. If he'd tried a bit harder,he could have wonthe race. If he'd tried a bit harder,he might have wontherace.

should have / could have / wouldn't haveNote the way in which all three of these modals are combined in these exchanges which refer to a meeting that has just taken place: Why did you come to the meeting? It didn't need both of us.You should have knownthat I would be there. ~How could I have knownyou'd be there? I haven't spoken to you for a fortnight! ~ If I'd known you were intending to go,I certainly wouldn't have gone!

Transcripcin de Verbs of perception + present participle.Could/ Can.Verbs of perception + present participle. can/could+ verb of perception. Examples: Could/ Can: Verbs of perception + present participle. We use the present participle after see,watch,notice, hear, listen to, smell and feel to talk about a continuous activity: -People see Elvis walking out of a caf.-They hear him singing.-I saw him bitting his nails. We often use can/could before see, hear, smell, taste and feel: -I can feel him holding my hand.-I could hear birds singing. What's the difference between can & could. The difference is that could is the verb in past to can.Can is the action but Could is a probability, suggestion but is known as ability.

Verb "can" and the verbs of perceptionI wonder what is the difference between following sentences:

1."I see children playing in the park." and2."I can see children playing in the park."

1."I hear music in the flat opposite mine." and2."I can hear music in the flat opposite mine."While it is possible for the present simple, as in your #1 examples, to be used to indicate the something perceived at the moment of speaking, it is generally used for regular or repeated examples:I see children / I hear musicevery day.

We do not normally use continuous forms for the verbs of perception in their literal sense; we usecan(when we would use a continuous form with other verbs):I can see children / I can hear musicnow, as I speak.

Note that we can use the continuous form for these verbs when they have a different meaning, or when the perception is not usual:

Are you still seeing Emma?= going out with her.I must be tired. I am seeing spots before my eyes.I'm going mad. I'm hearing things that aren't there.When you have two verbs together, what form should the second verb be? The first answer to this question is on my page ongerunds and infinitives. There is more to this grammar, though. There are also two verbs together withverbs of perception.Verbs of perceptionare about your senses ofsight,hearing,smellandtouch. After these verbs there is anobjectand then averb. The verb is in thesimple formwhen the second verb is complete and its in thepresent participleform (-ing) when the second verb is not complete.Examples:Isawthemgointo the mall. [I saw the complete action including the door closing behind them.]Isawthemgoinginto the mall. [I only saw part of that action, not the complete action.]Iwatchedthe childrenplaysoccer. [I saw the complete game from start to finish.]Iwatchedthe childrenplayingsoccer for awhile, and then I left. [I only saw part of the game.]Shelooked ather motherdriveaway. [She saw the complete action.]Shelooked ather motherwashingthe dishes. [She didnt see the whole action.]The studentsobservedthe teacherleavethe classroom. [They observed the complete action.]The studentsobservedthe teachermarkingpapers. [They only observed part of the action.]Shenoticedthe boyget offhis bicycle. [She noticed the complete action.]Shenoticedthe boyridinghis bike. [She noticed only part of the action.]Ihearda planeflyoverhead. [I heard the complete action.]Ihearda planeflyingoverhead. [I didnt hear the complete action, only part of it.]Welistened tothe professortalkfor an hour and a half. [We listened to the whole talk.]Welistened tothe neighborshavinga big argument. [We listened only to part of the argument.]Ismellsomethingburning. [Its not possible to smell all of it, so its not complete.]The sleeping childfelthis motherkisshis cheek. [He felt the complete action.]Hefelthis wifetossingandturningin bed. [He fell asleep and didnt feel all of it.]Isensedhimenterthe room. [I sensed the complete action.]Isensedhimstandingbehind me. [I didnt sense him when he started standing behind me, only later.]

Verbs of perception QuizzName: ________________________ Date:

1. She could hear someone ____________ next door. (cry)2. Can you smell something ____________?. (burn)3. I just saw a man ____________ off that bridge. (jump)Incorrect. Jump off the bridge is a complete one-time action.4. I noticed a homeless person ____________ on a bench as I passed by.(lie)5. Just look at that boy ____________ his bike with no hands!. (ride)6. I've never heard that person ____________ a kind word to anyone.(say) No. Not it. It doesn't take long to say a kind word, so you'll hear it completely.7. On our camping trip we saw the forest ____________, so we left in a hurry.(burn)8. I want to hear you ____________ that piece on the piano before you go play. (practice)No good. You want to hear the complete practice.9. We noticed several people ____________ in front of the store.(stand)10. They observed a meteorite ____________ the sky.(cross)Not so good. They saw the whole thing because it's quick.11. Watch me ____________ the ball out of the park!Not it. It's only one hit.12. She sensed someone ____________ at her, so she turned around..(stare)Starelook fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one's eyes wide open."he stared at her in amazement"

13. Look at all the birds ____________ south for the winter.(fly)14. She didn't notice me ____________ on a banana peel.(slip)No, not it. She would have noticed the complete action because it's fast.15. Listen! Can you hear someone ____________ music? (play)

Verbs of perception QuizzName: ________________________ Date:

1. She could hear someone ____________ next door. (cry)2. Can you smell something ____________?. (burn)3. I just saw a man ____________ off that bridge. (jump)4. I noticed a homeless person ____________ on a bench as I passed by.(lie)5. Just look at that boy ____________ his bike with no hands!. (ride)6. I've never heard that person ____________ a kind word to anyone.(say)7. On our camping trip we saw the forest ____________, so we left in a hurry.(burn)8. I want to hear you ____________ that piece on the piano before you go play. (practice)9. We noticed several people ____________ in front of the store.(stand)10. They observed a meteorite ____________ the sky.(cross)11. Watch me ____________ the ball out of the park!12. She sensed someone ____________ at her, so she turned around..(stare)Starelook fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one's eyes wide open."he stared at her in amazement"

13. Look at all the birds ____________ south for the winter.(fly)14. She didn't notice me ____________ on a banana peel.(slip)15. Listen! Can you hear someone ____________ music? (play)