Past Tense Real and Unreal Conditionals

By: Sean Savoie

Understanding and using past tense conditional sentences is probably the most confusing and complicated grammar in English. So if you enjoy the puzzle-like nature of grammar, this article and the next few ones should be interesting. To effectively use past tense conditionals one must be able to shift back verb tenses, make use of modals, such as could, would, should, may, might, had better, and also recognize that an action in the past can influence a current event. So, we should begin by taking a look at the real past tense conditional, which means that an action in the past is unknown or forgotten, but if it happened, it created a possible result in the past. Take a look at the sentences below:

1) If he gave her the keys, she probably put them on her desk.

2) If he got a ticket, he probably paid the fine right away.

3) If I met him before, he did not make a big impression on me; I do not remember him.

4) If they took the wrong road, they most likely got lost.

5) If she had trouble on the test, she possibly went to the library.

Notice that, in all of the sentences above, the speaker does not know if the event happened; therefore, the effect or result is only "possible" or "probable". Usually a speaker using this past tense conditional is trying to understand a possible cause and effect situation. Very often the "effect" is present tense or future tense. In other words, a past event can affect current or future conditions. In the sentences below, all of the past events are the same as the sentences above. Notice how the results, however, are expressed in the present or future tense.

1) If he gave her the keys, they are probably on her desk now.

2) If he got a ticket, I am sure he will pay the fine soon.

3) If I met him before, I do not remember his face at all.

4) If they took the wrong road, they will probably be late to the party.

5) If she had trouble on the test, maybe she is in the library right now.

The biggest challenge of using the past tense conditional is very clearly expressing verb tense. Keep in mind that the conditional tense always involves at least two clauses, the possible event and the result. Because the above example sentences are all real possibilities, meaning the speaker simply does not know if something happened, each of the clauses uses a simple tense: either the simple past, simple present, or simple future. The resulting action could, of course, also be expressed in a continuous verb form. Take a look at the sentences below:

1) If he gave her the keys, she is probably driving right now.

2) If he got a ticket, he is probably planning to go to court.

3) If I met him before, I am having trouble remembering his face.

4) If they took the wrong road, they might be driving up in the mountains.

5) If she had trouble on the test, maybe she is studying in the library.

The unreal past tense conditional is quite a bit trickier for most ESL students. In this verb tense, the truth is known about the past and the speaker or writer is expressing something hypothetical, which means that the situation is not real at all. It might seem to some people that talking about what is not real is unnecessary. But it is surprising how often people express hypothetical ideas. One purpose is to express regret or relief. Another one is to logically determine the cause and effect of a situation in order to avoid making another mistake or to ensure a future success. Take a look at the sentences below:

If I had not studied hard for the exam, I would have failed it.

This sentence above expresses much; it conveys the feeling of insecurity about the test material. Because the sentence is in the unreal conditional form, we know for sure that the speaker studied hard for the exam and passed it. In the unreal conditional form, the truth about the event is known and a hypothetical change is considered. Carefully examine the sentences below:

1) If he had not traveled to Taiwan, he probably would not have studied Mandarin Chinese.

2) If I had not gotten a raise last week, I would have quit my job.

3) If I had waited in the restaurant for another five minutes, I would have seen her.

4) If they had called me, I would have gone to the celebration.

5) If she had been calmer, she might not have lost the game.

6) If I had exercised more, I would have been ready for the race.

7) If they had bought a new car, they would not have gone on vacation.

8) If he had gotten better grades, he might have gotten accepted to Harvard.

9) If we had taken the correct road, we would have arrived on time.

10) If I had had her phone number, I would have called her weeks ago.

In all of the above sentences, the two clauses can be reversed. In the last sentence of the group, for example, I could express the main clause first, in which case I do not need a comma, as seen below:

I would have called her weeks ago if I had had her phone number.

As is true with the real past conditional, the unreal past conditional can also express something about an event in the present or the future. However, because this can become quite complex, I feel it is better to continue to practice the past tense unreal conditional in a practical way next week in the New York Community Times. Until then, have an excellent week!