LANGUAGE FOCUS SUBJUNCTIVE

EXAMPLE

· WISH

a. The countryman wishes he were able to be tycoon

It means the countryman is not able to be a tycoon

b. The gooses wished she had never met the countryman

It means the goose met the countryman

c. The countryman wishes he were a rich man

The fact is that he is poor man. He isn’t rich man.

· IF ONLY

a. If only I had known that the countryman was a cruel man, I would have left him. ( Conditional Type 3 )

The fact is I didn’t know that the countryman was a cruel man.

b. If only I were you, I would take his offer to be a movie star. ( Conditional type 2 )

The fact is I am not you.

· WOULD RATHER

a. I would rather it rained this morning

It means it doesn’t rain this morning

b. I would rather I worked for the government

The fact is I work for a private company

c . I would rather I had learned Japanese or French, but I didn’t

· AS IF / AS THOUGH

a. Lanny speaks as if she were married, but she isn’t

b. Socy talked as though she had known a lots about cars, but she didn’t

c. Pinyo acts as if she could speak French well, but she can’t

NOTE

1. Wish , if only, would rather, and as if/as though are used when the speaker wants reality to be different, to be exactly the opposite

2. The past simple tense is used for something unreal or wished-for at the present time

3. ‘were’ is the only form of ‘be’ used for something unreal or wished for now. Don’t use ‘was’

4. The past perfect is used for something unreal or wished-for at the past time.