Verb Forms in Unreal Conditional Sentences (past and mixed)

[@highgate34]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with all of us, Jennifer. Great videos and explanations. Your explanations give immense confidence to non-native speakers! What a real joy!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thank you for the kind comment. I hope you can join my livestream on Friday.

[@whocares8025]

Hi Jennifer. Thanks for another extremely useful lesson! 1) I've watched a KZbin video the other day and a native American speaker said: ''If I were to give them all of that information in the first lesson or the second lesson, their brain would be overwhelmed, and they would become discouraged.'' AND 'But, if I were to introduce part four in the beginning, it might be overwhelming because people need a foundation.' My question is why did she use the verb 'to be' + infinitive in that case? I mean... I would say something like... 'If I gave them all of that information in the first lesson or the second lesson, their brain would be overwhelmed, and they would become discouraged.' AND ''But, if I introduced part four in the beginning, it might be overwhelming because people need a foundation.'' 2) There is another kind of weird phrase. 'If you weren't going on a big hike tomorrow, would you have come on a bike ride today?' Is it possible to use /would + have + past participle/ with the word as 'today'? The /would + have + past participle/ construction is about the hypothetical past situations but the word 'today' feels like a present. It's still continuing... Does her phrase make sense? Thank you!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hi. Have you seen my playlist on conditionals? kzbin.info/aero/PLfQSN9FlyB6QlCAYVttmYlpRyulsx37Vb I cover unreal conditionals and the use of "were" for all subjects. Basically, "If I were to give them" = "If I gave them" They both express an unreal condition. It's hypothetical. The speaker is talking about an unreal or unlikely situation in the present or future. As for the second question, it depends. Did the bike ride already take place today? Then "would have come" makes sense because it's an unreal past. Or perhaps the speaker is thinking about the decision not to go on the bike ride in the past tense because it's already been made. American English speakers also break the rules sometimes. Not knowing the full context, I can't say if that verb is "wrong" (non-standard) or not. Hope that helps.

[@whocares8025]

@@Englishwithjennifer Wow... English as Universe... no beginning and no end... Thank you Jennifer!

[@piotrpestka2894]

the best explenation I've ever found - thanks a million

[@Englishwithjennifer]

You're most welcome. I have more grammar lessons here. www.englishwithjennifer.com/students/yt-videos/

[@soypinoy5251]

I remember I was one of your first students on youtube back in the mid 2000's. You were still a small time youtuber back then, and probably didn't make money. Now look at you, you have more than 1 million subscribers, and counting! You deserve it. I am so happy for you, and thankful that there are people like you that are willing to teach for free.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hello. Thank you for returning to visit. Thank you for the support. Money doesn't always come with the big milestones, but I'm happy to be teaching in 2022. Doing what I love is what makes me happy.

[@eustaquiozambrano2974]

Thank Jennifer a bunch. Have a good Day. 👍

[@Englishwithjennifer]

You too!

[@melvinpristyo2877]

Hi Jennifer, a great video, very clear and helpful. Way to go ! I've seen sentences like this and would like to ask for your help explanining the meaning of "could have" in the following sentences : (1) If a friend gives me a present on my birthday, I might say : How could you have known it was my birthday today ? (2) I have no idea how the thief could have known my key code. Is "could have" in these sentences correctly used to express surprise ? I would really appreciate your explanation. Best regards,

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hello Melvin. Please see my other videos on past modals/perfect modals. (1) If your friend prepared a gift and you didn't tell him/her it was your birthday, you wonder how they found out. How did they know to prepare a gift? You consider past possibilities: How could they have known? [could have + past participle] (2) Similarly, you wonder about a burglar's ability to know the code in order to get into your home. You may think it was impossible to discover the code. How could s/he have discovered it?

[@melvinpristyo2877]

@@Englishwithjennifer Thanks so much for your prompt reply Jennifer. So, it's already grammatically correct to use "how could you have..." in the situation where I'm wondering how a particular event that I thought was impossible to happen but did actually happen, isn't it ? Or to simplify the explanation, can I just conclude like this ? When we ask "how could you/he have known...." we can rephrase it with "it's surprising, how was it possible for you/him to know...."? e.g. : (1) It's surprising, how was it possible for you to know my birthday ? (because I've never told anybody) (2) It's surprising, how was it possible for the burglar to know my key code ? (because the key code is, of course, very confidential). I was hoping you would help me again with your explanation.Sorry to have troubled you so much Jennifer. Best regards,

[@Englishwithjennifer]

How could you have (done something)? = grammatically correct Also possible: That's surprising. How was it possible for (someone) (to do something)? In early November, we'll have our monthly livestream. Members are welcome to send questions in advance. I create practice tasks to help answer those questions. Hope you'll consider joining. :)

[@melvinpristyo2877]

@@Englishwithjennifer Hi Jennifer, once again thanks so much for your prompt and clear reply. When is your scheduled livestream in November? I'll be happy to join. Will it be on KZbin ? Meanwhile, I've watched your KZbin on The Perfect Modals. It's a fabulous KZbin as well. Actually, I'm a loyal subscriber to your KZbin videos, I've watched almost all your KZbin lessons. They have been very helpful so far.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I'll announce it on the community tab. I usually have the monthly livestream on a Friday morning.

[@benysartandroidmoz1141]

Your fan from Mozambique África God bless you so much My English is so bad 😞 I hope I can improve it by watching your videos/lessons my Native language is Portuguese

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Oi! Tudo bem? Your English is better than my Portuguese! I sometimes get frustrated with my Russian, but I try to stay positive and continue to practice. Please continue to study. I have many videos here and on Instagram. Thank you for writing.

[@BENJAGATHNARAYANAN]

Ma'am, Could you please teach us more about gradable and ungradable adjectives?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Have you already seen this lesson? kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGnQq5mal7aIqpo

[@BENJAGATHNARAYANAN]

I'll watch it ma'am. ❤️😁

[@maxwellsimoes238]

Hi jennifer. Good video. Thank you

[@Englishwithjennifer]

You are so welcome!

[@huseyinarslan6794]

You are a not real teacher , You are a surreal teacher🥰🥰🥰

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I appreciate your support!

[@KilianLoyn4089]

У вас очень красивое произношение. Я смотрю ваши видео из далёкой, холодной России. 😊

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Я очень рада, что вы нашли мой канал. :) Большой привет из США! Здесь в моем штате очень холодно сегодня!

[@KilianLoyn4089]

@@Englishwithjennifer А у нас наоборот, довольно тепло для зимы. )

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Мне нравится снег. I hope we both see some more snow this winter. :)

[@KilianLoyn4089]

@@Englishwithjennifer Yes, we are very beautiful in winter. The trees stand like crystal. And the city is decorated with colorful garlands. )

[@benysartandroidmoz1141]

Jeniffer What English do you speak? American or British? I'm just wondering....

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hi. I'm American. I was born and raised in the USA.

[@benysartandroidmoz1141]

@@Englishwithjennifer Great Thanks Again What is the difference between lay down and lie down? ..................................................................... Waiting your Answer kindly Wondering

[@Englishwithjennifer]

LIE DOWN (no object, intransitive): I'm tired. I think I'll lie down. LAY + object (transitive): Lay your head on my shoulder. "Lay" is also the past tense of "lie." When he got tired, he lay down and took a nap. www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/lay#lay__38

[@benysartandroidmoz1141]

@@Englishwithjennifer so greatfull Jannifer .may God keep blessing you

[@ledovyj1629]

A 1. ... she would have spent more time with her father last year 2. ... If Mr. Carlson had retired earlier, he could have visited... 3. ... she might have flown back to visit him B 1. If Joe had had more experience, he wouldn't have felt so nervous 2. If the sun hadn't been so bright, they wouldn't have put on sunglasses 3. If they had not dressed appropriately, they would have suffered from the cold wind C 1. If I were a millionaire, I would buy my parents a new house a long time ago ( can I use Second condition?) 2. If I had paid more attention in math class, I would have helped my nephew with his homework more often 3. If I lived on a beach, I would find it easer to relax.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Good effort! My comments: C 1. If I were a millionaire, I would buy my parents a new house a long time ago ( can I use Second condition?) No. "Buying" is in the past. Fact: You didn't buy the house. Third conditional (unreal past): would have bought 2. If I had paid more attention in math class, I would have helped my nephew with his homework more often That works if you wanted to help in the past but couldn't. (3rd conditional) Imagine that you wish you could help now, but you can't because you didn't study math well back in school. Imaginary present (2nd conditional): I could help/ I would help

[@ledovyj1629]

@@Englishwithjennifer Thank you very much!

[@Isabella-linguistics]

I want to ask a question. Native speakers speak English with excessive rounding, fast and rounding is hard to understand. KZbin videos are full of English learning videos with very clear pronunciation. But watching a vlog is extremely different, how do we learn and overcome it?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hi. You can learn those patterns and train your ears to recognize them. kzbin.info/aero/PLfQSN9FlyB6SEBVnec8LYuyLRvq3OcT-x Listening to videos and referring to the transcripts as needed is helpful too.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

More practice here. www.englishwithjennifer.com/students/understanding-fast-speech/

[@Isabella-linguistics]

@@Englishwithjennifer Thank you so much ☺️

[@alinachau171]

Nice! Your videos should be seen by more viewers. May I repost your channel without changing anything on the clean platform named Ganjing World? Thank you!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

If you'd like to share a link to the channel or to any video, please do! Thank you.

[@20._527]

How can we practice our English with you live?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Hello. I have a monthly livestream on KZbin. It's public, and the live chat is for KZbin members. Members also receive a follow-up task after the livestream. It's only $1/month. Click JOIN to see all the perks. I have a Patreon membership program for advanced students. Members receive 2-3 group classes a month. I promise 1 Zoom class and 1 livestream, but I often schedule 2 Zoom classes so that I can meet once in the morning and once in the evening. Members receive many practice tasks throughout the month. Membership with interaction starts at $10/month. Higher tiers receive a monthly 1:1 session with me. Visit my page to see all tiers. www.patreon.com/englishwithjennifer Instagram subscriptions are new. I'm exploring perks. So far, subscribers receive exclusive stories and reels. I may try a live in the future. :) It's also $1/month.

[@hilalahmad7286]

Hello Jennifer! These are some of my examples! Please have a look at them! If I hadn't subscribed to Jennifer's channel, I would have regretted my decision. If he had not wasted his money, he might have been able to travel abroad. If the president had understood the public perception about his economic policies, he wouldn't have agreed to raise taxes. If aliens were around, we would be able to know so much more about our universe. Thanks! Take care!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Rich and varied examples! Well done. Your verb forms are correct. Try making a mixed conditional. Make the result in the present: If I hadn't subscribed to Jennifer's channel, (what would be different today)?

[@hilalahmad7286]

@@Englishwithjennifer Thanks Jennifer! Your feedback does mean a lot to me. If I hadn't subscribed to Jennifer's channel, I wouldn't be confident to use complex grammar. Stay safe!

[@Englishwithjennifer]

:) (Suggestion: confident about using)

[@hilalahmad7286]

@@Englishwithjennifer Got it! Take care!

[@birbalram3562]

Amazing

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Thanks!

[@noureddineeljaadouni]

Thanks

[@Englishwithjennifer]

My pleasure.

[@ledovyj1629]

Can britains do not shift back to in unreal conditional like americans (how you showed)?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

We all generally agree on the grammar of the real and unreal conditional sentences. American English speakers tend to break the "rules" in everyday conversation (as I mentioned).

[@benysartandroidmoz1141]

What this shift back Means.?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Changing the verb tense, moving from present to past or past to past perfect. Change, move, step back, shift, transition. Teachers use different words to describe what happens.

[@rahatkhurram1894]

Can you help me in this sentence The horse and the carriage have or has gone.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

If you perceive them as a unit, use a singular verb: has gone. If you perceive them separately, use a plural verb: have gone. A Google search shows that the singular verb is preferred, but the plural is still quite often used.

[@rahatkhurram1894]

@@Englishwithjennifer thanks you ma'am

[@fernandomilicich8160]

Boston is beautiful, that's for sure !

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Yes. Truthfully, every state in the US has something beautiful to offer. :)

[@stunninglad1]

If I hadn't watched this video, I would never have discovered the truth about unicorns. If I had been there, I would have helped you. I would be more inclined to take country walks if I lived in the sticks. I might have suggested something similar if I had been asked. If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked cake. We would have done more work if we had not been so fond of sleeping. If someone had said that meditation is better than sitting around doing nothing, I would have taken the comment seriously.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Super examples to consider! I think with the verb "know," it's very common not to fully shift back to the past perfect. Many speakers use the simple past, and the meaning is clear. But basically, these two variations convey the same regret: a) If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked cake. b) If I'd known you were coming, I'd have baked cake. Thank you for the generous support! 🙏

[@stunninglad1]

@@Englishwithjennifer Yes, the song wouldn't have sounded as good if the words had been "If I'd known you were coming, I'd have baked cake." Understanding how to use conditionals is important.

[@niveraman9607]

If i hadn't learned this2nd conditional a long time ago i would not understand now i would watch this video again and again .... 2. If i were a Christian i would be in the Church right now ...and i would be praying right now . I would not be watching this video .

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I'm not a big fan of the numbering system because it's easy to confuse them. Second vs. third conditional, etc. In my mind, I separate them into real vs. unreal. Then I focus on the two time frames for the condition and the result. Your first sentence is a good example of a mixed conditional: If you hadn't learned about conditionals before, you wouldn't understand my lesson as well as you do! Your second sentence is a second conditional (unreal present): If I were...., I would be... If you hadn't watched the video and commented, we wouldn't have this productive exchange today! (mixed: past condition, present result) Regards!

[@20._527]

Do you know Lucy?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Which Lucy? The teacher?

[@20._527]

Yes. English with Lucy.

[@Englishwithjennifer]

I know of her, but I've never met her.

[@20._527]

Well,, Do you use Whatsapp app?

[@Englishwithjennifer]

Sorry. No.

[@espiriobelmontes4342]

Hi beautiful 😘