phrasal verb dictionary.docx

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Phrasal V erb Di ctionary To look up a phrasal verb, click a letter in the menu on the left. separable verbs (talk * into) inseparable verbs (run into +) object can be in both positions (look * up +) What are phrasal verbs? 1. A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning different from the original verb. Example: I ran into my teacher at the movies last night. run + into = meet  He ran away when he was 15. run + away = leave home  2. Some phrasal verbs are intransitive. An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an object. Example: He suddenly showed up. "show up" cannot take an object  3. Some phrasal verbs are transitive. A transitive verb can be followed by an ob ject. Example: I made up the story. "story" is the object of "make up"  4. Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable. The object is placed between the verb and the  preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dict ionary, separable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a *  between the verb and the preposition / adverb. Example: I talked my mother  into letting me borrow the car. She looked the phone number  up. 5. Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable. The object is placed after the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, inseparable phrasal verbs are marked b y placing a + after the  preposition / adverb. Example: I ran into an old friend  yesterday. They are looking into the problem.

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Phrasal Verb Dictionary

To look up a phrasal verb, click a letter in the menu on the left.

separable verbs (talk * into)inseparable verbs (run into +)

object can be in both positions (look * up +)

What are phrasal verbs?

1. A phrasal verb is a verb plus a preposition or adverb which creates a meaning different from

the original verb.

Example:

I ran into my teacher at the movies last night. run + into = meet He ran away when he was 15. run + away = leave home 

2. Some phrasal verbs are intransitive. An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an object.

Example:He suddenly showed up. "show up" cannot take an object 

3. Some phrasal verbs are transitive. A transitive verb can be followed by an object.

Example:

I made up the story. "story" is the object of "make up" 

4. Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable. The object is placed between the verb and the preposition. In this Phrasal Verb Dictionary, separable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a *

 between the verb and the preposition / adverb.

Example:

I talked my mother  into letting me borrow the car.

She looked the phone number  up.

5. Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable. The object is placed after the preposition. In this

Phrasal Verb Dictionary, inseparable phrasal verbs are marked by placing a + after the preposition / adverb.

Example:I ran into an old friend  yesterday.

They are looking into the problem.

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6. Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places. In this Phrasal Verb

Dictionary, such phrasal verbs are marked with both * and + .

Example:

I looked the number  up in the phone book.

I looked up the number  in the phone book.

7. WARNING! Although many phrasal verbs can take an object in both places, you must put theobject between the verb and the preposition if the object is a pronoun.

Example:I looked the number  up in the phone book.

I looked up the number  in the phone book.

I looked it  up in the phone book. correct 

I looked up it in the phone book. incorrect 

Also try our  Verb + Preposition Dictionary to

look up standard verb + prepostion

combinations.

Verb + Preposition Dictionary

To look up a verb + preposition combination, click a letter in the

menu on the left. The following abbreviations are used in thisresource:

SO = someone

ST = something

To look up verb + preposition combinations with special idiomatic

meanings, try our  Phrasal Verb Dictionary. 

Gerunds and Infinitives Part 11. A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." The gerund form of the verb "read" is

"reading." You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:

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  Reading helps you learn English. subject of sentence 

  Her favorite hobby is reading. complement of sentence 

  I enjoy reading. object of sentence 

Gerunds can be made negative by adding "not."

Examples:

  He enjoys not working.

  The best thing for your health is not smoking.

2. Infinitives are the "to" form of the verb. The infinitive form of "learn" is "to learn." You can

also use an infinitive as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Examples:

 To learn is important. subject of sentence 

  The most important thing is to learn. complement of sentence 

  He wants to learn. object of sentence 

Infinitives can be made negative by adding "not."

Examples:

  I decided not to go.

  The most important thing is not to give up.

3. Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence.However, as subjects or complements, gerunds usually sound more like normal, spoken English,

whereas infinitives sound more abstract. In the following sentences, gerunds sound more natural

and would be more common in everyday English. Infinitives emphasize the possibility or potential for something and sound more philosophical. If this sounds confusing, just remember

that 90% of the time, you will use a gerund as the subject or complement of a sentence.

Examples:

  Learning is important. normal subject  

  To learn is important. abstract subject - less common 

 The most important thing is learning. normal complement  

  The most important thing is to learn. abstract complement - less common 

4. As the object of a sentence, it is more difficult to choose between a gerund or an infinitive. In

such situations, gerunds and infinitives are not normally interchangeable. Usually, the main verbin the sentence determines whether you use a gerund or an infinitive.

Examples:

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  He enjoys swimming. "Enjoy" requires a gerund. 

  He wants to swim. "Want" requires an infinitive. 

5. Some verbs are followed by gerunds as objects. List of Verbs Followed by Gerunds 

Examples:

  She suggested going to a movie.

  Mary keeps talking about her problems.

6. Some verbs are followed by infinitives. List of Verbs Followed by Infinitives 

Examples:

  She wants to go to a movie.

  Mary needs to talk  about her problems.

Modal Verb Tutorial

Modals are special verbs which behave very irregularly in English. Englishpage.com has created

one of the most in-depth modal tutorials in print or online. Study the modal explanations andcomplete the associated exercises and take another step toward English fluency. If you want to

use the Modal Verb Tutorial as a reference only and do not want to complete the tutorial  Click

Here . 

The tutorial should be completed as follows:

1. Read this introduction page including the section below titled "What are Modal Verbs?"

2. Complete the exercises below. After each exercise, we have listed the modals covered. Justclick on the modal link to learn more about its use.

EXERCISES TOPICS COVERED

Modal Exercise

1

Can , Could , Have to , Must , Might and Should

Modal Exercise

2

Have to and Must

Modal Exercise

3

Might , Must and Should . Afterwards, you can repeat the exercise using Could , Have

to and Ought to

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Modal Exercise

4

Couldn't and Might not

Modal Exercise

5

Have got to , Had Better , May and Shall

Modal Exercise

6

Could , Might , Should and Would

Modal Exercise

7

Modal Verbs Forms

Modal Final

Test

Cumulative Modal Test

What are Modal Verbs?

Modal verbs are special verbs which behave very differently from normal verbs. Here are some

important differences:

1. Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third person.

Examples:

  He can speak Chinese.  She should be here by 9:00.

2. You use "not" to make modal verbs negative, even in Simple Present and Simple Past.

Examples:

  He should not be late.

  They might not come to the party.

3. Many modal verbs cannot be used in the past tenses or the future tenses.

Examples:

  He will can go with us. Not Correct  

  She musted study very hard. Not Correct  

Common Modal Verbs

Can Ought to

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Could

May

Might

Must

Shall

Should

Will

Would

For the purposes of this tutorial, we have included some expressions which are not modal verbsincluding had better, have to, and have got to. These expressions are closely related to modals

in meaning and are often interchanged with them.

Subjunctive

The following is a mini-tutorial on the use of the Subjunctive. After you have studied the tutorial,

complete the associated exercises. If you already know how to use this verb form, you can skipthe explanation and go directly to the exercises. 

FORM

Use the simple form of the verb. The simple form is the infinitive without the "to." The simpleform of the verb "to go" is "go." The Subjunctive is only noticeable in certain forms and tenses.

USE

The Subjunctive is used to emphasize urgency or importance. It is used after certain expressions(see below).

Examples:

  I suggest that he study.

  Is it essential that we be there?

  Don recommended that you join the committee.

NOTICE

The Subjunctive is only noticeable in certain forms and tenses. In the examples below, theSubjunctive is not noticeable in the you-form of the verb, but it is noticeable in the he-form of

the verb.

Examples:

  You try to study often. you-form of "try"  

  It is important that you try to study often. Subjunctive form of "try" looks the same.

  He tries to study often. he-form of "try"  

  It is important that he try to study often. Subjunctive form of "try" is noticeable here.

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Verbs Followed by the Subjunctive

The Subjunctive is used after the following verbs:

to advise (that)

to ask (that)to command (that)to demand (that)

to desire (that)

to insist (that)to propose (that)

to recommend (that)

to request (that)

to suggest (that)to urge (that)

Examples:

  Dr. Smith asked that Mark submit his research paper before the end of the month.

  Donna requested Frank come to the party.

  The teacher insists that her students be on time.

Expressions Followed by the Subjunctive

The Subjunctive is used after the following expressions:

It is best (that)

It is crucial (that)It is desirable (that)

It is essential (that)It is imperative (that)

It is important (that)

It is recommended (that)It is urgent (that)

It is vital (that)

It is a good idea (that)It is a bad idea (that)

Examples:

  It is crucial that you be there before Tom arrives.

  It is important she attend the meeting.

  It is recommended that he take a gallon of water with him if he wants to hike to the bottom of

the Grand Canyon.

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Negative, Continuous and Passive Forms of Subjunctive

The Subjunctive can be used in negative, continuous and passive forms.

 Negative Examples:

  The boss insisted that Sam not be at the meeting.

  The company asked that employees not accept personal phone calls during business hours.

  I suggest that you not take the job without renegotiating the salary.

Passive Examples:

  Jake recommended that Susan be hired immediately.

  Christine demanded that I be allowed to take part in the negotiations.

  We suggested that you be admitted to the organization.

Continuous Examples:

  It is important that you be standing there when he gets off the plane.

  It is crucial that a car be waiting for the boss when the meeting is over.

  I propose that we all be waiting in Tim's apartment when he gets home.

Should as Subjunctive

After many of the above expressions, the word "should" is sometimes used to express the idea ofsubjunctiveness. This form is used more frequently in British English and is most common after

the verbs "suggest," "recommend" and "insist."

Examples:

  The doctor recommended that she should see a specialist about the problem.

  Professor William suggested that Wilma should study harder for the final exam.

EXERCISES AND RELATED TOPICS:

Also / Too / Either

The following is a mini-tutorial on the use of the words "also," "too" and "either." After you havestudied the tutorial, complete the associated exercises. If you already know how to use these

words, you can skip the explanation and go directly to the exercises. 

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 Also

USE

"Also" is used in positive sentences to add an agreeing thought.

Examples:

  Jane speaks French. Sam also speaks French.

  I love chocolate. I also love pizza.

  Frank can come with us. Nancy can also come with us.

PLACEMENT

"Also" comes after "to be."

Examples:

  I am also Canadian.

  I was also there.

With verbs other than "to be," "also" comes before single verb forms.

Examples:

  I also sing.

  He also helped us.

In verb tenses with many parts, "also" comes after the first part and before the second.

Examples:

  I have also been to Hong Kong.

  I am also studying economics.

Similarly, since modal verbs are usually followed by a second verb, "also" comes after modalverbs.

Examples:

  I can also speak French.

  I should also be there.

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Too

USE

"Too" is used in positive sentences to add an agreeing thought. It has the same meaning as

"also," but its placement within the sentence is different.

Examples:

  Jane speaks French. Sam speaks French too.

  I love chocolate. I love pizza too.

  Frank can come with us. Nancy can come with us too.

PLACEMENT

"Too" usually comes at the end of a clause.

Examples:

  I am Canadian too.

  I can speak French too.

  I am studying economics too.

  If he wants to go too, he should meet us at 8:00.

IMPORTANT

Although "too" is usually placed at the end of a clause, it can sometimes be used with commas

after the subject of the sentence. This is usually only done in formal speech.

Examples:

  Mr. Jones wanted the contract. Ms. Jackson, too, thought it was necessary.

  Donna is working on a solution to the problem. I, too, am trying to find a way to resolve the

conflict.

Either

USE

"Either" is used in negative sentences to add an agreeing thought.

Examples:

  Jane doesn't speak French. Sam doesn't speak French either.

  I don't love chocolate. I don't love pizza either.

  Frank cannot come with us. Nancy cannot come with us either.

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PLACEMENT

"Either" usually comes at the end of a clause.

Examples:

  I cannot speak French either.

  I am not studying economics either.

  I don't want to eat either.

  I didn't like the movie either.

Confusing Sentences

Sometimes the first sentence is negative and the agreeing idea is positive.

Examples:

  The weather wasn't very appealing. I also wanted to stay home and finish my book. That's why I

didn't go to the beach.

  The car wasn't expensive, and I needed a way to get around town too. That's why I bought it.

Sometimes the first sentence is positive and the agreeing idea is negative.

Examples:

  Jane is too short. She is not a good athlete either. I don't think she would make a good

basketball player.

 He is lazy. He doesn't study either. That's why he doesn't do well in school.

EXERCISES AND RELATED TOPICS:

  Also / Too / Either Exercise 1 

Adverbs / Adjectives / Linking Verbs

The following is a mini-tutorial on the use of adverbs, adjectives, and linking verbs. After youhave studied the tutorial, complete the associated exercises. If you are already familiar with these

topics, you can skip the explanation and go directly to the exercises. 

 Adverbs

FORM

[adjective + ly]

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There are also irregular adverbs such as "well" and "fast."

USE 1

Adverbs can be used to modify verbs.

Examples:

  John walked quickly towards the door.

  Sally sat silently waiting for somebody else to speak first.

USE 2

Adverbs can be used to modify adjectives.

Examples:

  The redwood tree was impressively tall.

  The blouse was outrageously expensive.

USE 3

Adverbs can be used to modify other adverbs.

Examples:

  She spoke extremely confidently.

  The cheetah ran incredibly quickly.

 Adjectives

FORM

There are many different adjective endings including "-ive," "-ous," "-y," "-ful," "-ent" and manyothers. "Attractive," "envious," "lazy," "beautiful," and "intelligent" are all adjectives.

USE 1

Adjectives can be used to modify nouns.

Examples:

  Jack drives a big car.

  Sally writes beautiful poems.

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IMPORTANT

The verbs in the list above are not always used as linking verbs. Compare the examples below.

Examples:

  Sally grew angry.

"Angry" describes Sally. In this sentence, "to grow" is being used as a linking verb meaning "to

become."

  The plant grew quickly.

"Quickly" does not describe the plant, it describes the manner in which it grows. In this sentence,

"to grow" is not being used as a linking verb. 

EXERCISES AND RELATED TOPICS:

  Adverbs / Adjectives / Linking Verbs Exercise 1 

So / Such

The following is a mini-tutorial on the use of "so" and "such." After you have studied thetutorial, complete the associated exercises. If you already know how to use "so" and "such," you

can skip the explanation and go directly to the exercises. 

So + Adjective

USE

"So" can be combined with adjectives to show extremes. This form is often used inexclamations.

Examples:

  The music is so loud! I wish they would turn it down.

  The meal was so good! It was worth the money.

USE with "That"

The above form can be combined with "that" to show extremes which lead to certain results. The"that" is usually optional.

Examples:

  The music is so loud that I can't sleep.

  The music is so loud I can't sleep.

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  The meal was so good that we decided to have dinner at the same restaurant again tonight.

  The meal was so good we decided to have dinner at the same restaurant again tonight.

So + Adverb

USE

"So" can be combined with adverbs to show extreme actions. This form is often used inexclamations.

Examples:

  She spoke so quickly! She sounded like an auctioneer.

  He paints so well! I am sure he is going to become a famous artist.

USE with "That"

The above form can be combined with "that" to show extreme actions which lead to certain

results. The "that" is usually optional.

Examples:

  She spoke so quickly that I couldn't understand her.

  She spoke so quickly I couldn't understand her.

  He paints so well that they offered him a scholarship at an art school in Paris.

  He paints so well they offered him a scholarship at an art school in Paris.

So + Many / Few + Plural Noun

USE

"So" can be combined with "many" or "few" plus a plural noun to show extremes in amount.

This form is often used in exclamations.

Examples:

  I never knew you had so many brothers!

  She has so few friends! It's really quite sad.

USE with "That"

The above form can be combined with "that" to show extremes in amount which lead to certain

results. The "that" is usually optional.

Examples:

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  I never knew you had so many brothers that you had to share a bedroom.

  I never knew you had so many brothers you had to share a bedroom.

  She has so few friends that she rarely gets out of the house.

  She has so few friends she rarely gets out of the house.

So + Much / Little + Non-countable Noun

USE

"So" can be combined with "much" or "little" plus a non-countable noun to show extremes in

amount. This form is often used in exclamations.

Examples:

  Jake earns so much money! And he still has trouble paying the rent.

  They have so little food! We need to do something to help them.

USE with "That"

The above form can be combined with "that" to show extremes in amount which lead to certain

results. The "that" is usually optional.

Examples:

  Jake earns so much money that he has lost all sense of what a dollar is worth.

  Jake earns so much money he has lost all sense of what a dollar is worth.

  They have so little food that they are starving to death.

  They have so little food they are starving to death.

So + Much / Little / Often / Rarely

USE

"So" can be combined with words like "much," "little," "often," or "rarely" to describe how muchor how often someone does an action. This form is often used in exclamations.

Examples:

  Earl drinks so much! It's not good for his health.

  My sister visits us so rarely! I really miss her.

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Such + Judgemental Noun

USE

"Such" can also be combined with judgemental nouns for emphasis. This form is often used in

exclamations.

Examples:

  He is such an idiot! He says the stupidest things.

  She is such a genius! We could never do this work without her.

USE with "That"

The above form can be combined with "that" to show certain results. The "that" is usually

optional.

Examples:

  He is such an idiot that nobody would hire him.

  He is such an idiot nobody would hire him.

  She is such a genius that they immediately gave her a position at the university.

  She is such a genius they immediately gave her a position at the university.

Such + Noun (This type of...)

USE

"Such" can also mean "this type of..." or "that type of..."

Examples:

  The archeologist had never seen such writing before he discovered the tablet.

this/that type of writing 

  She usually doesn't receive such criticism.

this/that kind of criticism 

  Frank has never made such mistakes before.

these/those kinds of mistakes 

EXERCISES AND RELATED TOPICS:

  So / Such Exercise 1 

Let / Make / Have / Get

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The following is a mini-tutorial on the use of the causative verbs "let," "make," "have," and

"get." After you have studied the tutorial, complete the associated exercises. If you already know

how to use these verbs, you can skip the explanation and go directly to the exercises. 

Let

FORM

[let + person + verb]

USE

This construction means "to allow someone to do something."

Examples:

  John let me drive his new car.  Will your parents let you go to the party?

  I don't know if my boss will let me take the day off.

Make

FORM

[make + person + verb]

USE

This construction means "to force someone to do something."

Examples:

  My teacher made me apologize for what I had said.

  Did somebody make you wear that ugly hat?

  She made her children do their homework.

Have

FORM

[have + person + verb]

USE

This construction means "to give someone the responsibility to do something."

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Examples:

  Dr. Smith had his nurse take the patient's temperature.

  Please have your secretary fax me the information.

  I had the mechanic check the brakes.

Get

FORM

[get + person + to + verb]

USE

This construction usually means "to convince to do something" or "to trick someone into doing

something."

Examples:

  Susie got her son to take the medicine even though it tasted terrible.

  How can parents get their children to read more?

  The government TV commercials are trying to get people to stop smoking.

Get vs. Have

Sometimes "get someone to do something" is interchangeable with "have someone dosomething," but these expressions do not mean exactly the same thing.

Examples:

  I got the mechanic to check my brakes.

 At first the mechanic didn't think it was necessary, but I convinced him to check the brakes. 

  I had the mechanic check my brakes.

I asked the mechanic to check the brakes. 

The past tense is sometimes used in English to refer to an 'unreal' situation. So, although the

tense is the past, we are usually talking about the present, e.g. in a Type 2 conditional sentence:

 If an elephant and a mouse fell  in love, they would have many problems. 

Although fell  is in the past tense, we are talking about a hypothetical situation that might exist

now or at any time, but we are not referring to the past. We call this use the unreal past. 

Other situations where this occurs are:

  after other words and expressions like ' if '  (supposing, if only, what if); 

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  after the verb ' to wish'; 

  after the expression ' I'd rather..'  

Expressions like 'if'  

The following expressions can be used to introduce hypothetical situations:- supposing, if only, what i f . They are followed by a past tense  to indicate that the condition they

introduce is unreal:

  Supposing an elephant and a mouse fell  in love? (= but we know this is unlikely or impossible)

  What if we painted  the room purple? (= that would be very surprising)

  If only I had  more money. (= but I haven't).

These expressions can also introduce hypothetical situations in the past and then they arefollowed by the past perfect. 

Examples

  If only I hadn't kissed  the frog (= I did and it was a mistake because he turned into a horrible

prince, but I can't change it now.)

  What if the elephant had trodden on the mouse? (She didn't, but we can imagine the result!)

  Supposing I had given that man my money! (I didn't, so I've still got my money now.)

The verb to wish 

The verb to wish  is followed by an 'unreal' past tense when we want to talk about situations in

the present that we are not happy about but cannot change:

  I wish I had  more money (=but I haven't)

  She wishes she was beautiful (= but she's not)

  We wish we could  come to your party (but we can't)

When we want to talk about situations in the past that we are not happy about or actions that we

regret, we use the verb to wish followed by the past perfect:

  I wish I hadn't said  that (= but I did)

  He wishes he hadn't bought  the car (= but he did buy it.)

  I wish I had taken that job in New York (= but I didn't, so I'm stuck in Bristol)

NOTE: When we want to talk about situations we are not happy about and where we want

someone else to change them, we use to wish  followed by would + inf ini tive:  

  I wish he would stop smoking. (= I don't like it, I want him to change it)

  I wish you would go away. (= I don't want you here, I want you to take some action)

  I wish you wouldn't squeeze the toothpaste from the middle! (= I want you to change your

habits.)

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I'd rather and it's time... 

These two expressions are also followed by an unreal past. The verb is in the past tense, but thesituation is in the present.

When we want to talk about a course of action we would prefer someone else to take, we use I 'drather + past tense :

  I'd rather you went  

  He'd rather you called  the police

  I'd rather you didn't  hunt elephants.

 NOTE: the stress can be important in these sentences, to show what our preference is:

  I'd rather you went = not me,

  I'd rather you went = don't stay

  He'd rather you called the police = he doesn't want to

  He'd rather you called the police = not the ambulance service

Similarly, when we want to say that now  is a suitable moment to do something, either for

ourselves or for someone else, we use it ' s time + past tense :

  It's (high) time I went .

  It's time you paid  that bill.

  Don't you think it's time you had  a haircut?

It is possible for the two parts of a conditional sentence to refer to different times, and the

resulting sentence is a "mixed conditional" sentence. There are two types of mixed conditionalsentence:

 A. Present result of past condition:

1. Form

The tense in the 'if' clause is the past perfect, and the tense in the main clause is the presentconditional:

'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE

If + past perfectIf I had worked harder at school

If we had looked at the map

Present conditionalI would have a better job now.

we wouldn't be lost.

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2. Function

In these sentences, the time is past  in the ' i f '  clause, and present in the main clause. They refer toan unreal past condition  and its probable resul t  in the present. They express a situation which is

contrary to reali ty  both in the past and in the present:

' If I had worked harder at school' is contrary to past fact - I didn't work hard at school, and ' Iwould have a better job now' is contrary to present fact - I haven't got a good job.

 If we had looked at the map (we didn't), we wouldn't be lost (we are lost).

Examples

  I would be a millionaire now if I had taken that job.

  If you'd caught  that plane you'd be dead  now.

  If you hadn't spent  all your money on CDs, you wouldn't be broke.

B. Past result of present or continuing condition.

1. Form

The tense in the I f - clause is the simple past, and the tense in the main clause is the perfectconditional:

'IF' CLAUSE MAIN CLAUSE

If + simple pastIf I wasn't afraid of spiders

If we didn't trust him

Perfect conditionalI would have picked it up.

we would have sacked him months ago.

2. Function

In these sentences the time in the I f- clause is now or always , and the time in the main clause isbefore now . They refer to an unreal present situation and its probable (but unreal) past result:

  'If I wasn't afraid of spiders' is contrary to present  reality - I am afraid of spiders, and 'I would

have picked it up'  is contrary to past  reality - I didn't pick it up.

  'If we didn't trust him'  is contrary to present  reality - we do trust him, and 'we would have

sacked him'  is contrary to past  reality - we haven't sacked him.

Examples

a. If she wasn' t afraid  of flying she wouldn ' t have travell ed  by boat. b. I ' d have been able  to translate the letter if my Italian was better .

c. If I was  a good cook, I ' d have invited  them to lunch.

d. If the elephant wasn't  in love with the mouse, she'd have trodden  on him by now.

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