Intermediate grammar · Unit 40 · B2

if I had known ... I wish I had known ...

if and wish

Use if + had done and wish + had done to imagine the past differently. The other half of an if-sentence takes would have done, could have done or might have done.

Go to the exercises

A Imagining the past: if I had known

Last week Imran was off work with flu. His friend Shona did not know. Yesterday she bumped into him in the supermarket and said:

If I'd known you were ill, I would have brought you some soup.

If I'd known means If I had known. It tells us that she did not know at the time, so she did not bring any soup.

We use if + had ('d) + past participle to talk about the past (if I'd known, if you'd done and so on). The other part of the sentence has would have + past participle.

Compare the present and the past:

Time Sentence
Now I'm not cold. If I was cold, I'd put a jumper on.
Past I wasn't cold. If I had been cold, I would have put a jumper on.
  • If I'd known you were ill, I would have brought you some soup.
  • I didn't notice you at the match. If I'd seen you, I would have come over.
  • They didn't go to the barbecue. They would have gone if they hadn't been so busy. (but they were busy)
  • If you'd been concentrating, you wouldn't have missed the turning. (but you were not concentrating)
  • The sunset was amazing. I would have filmed it if I'd had (= if I had had) my phone with me.

B Not if ... would have

We do not say if something would have happened. We use would in the other part of the sentence.

The short form 'd can stand for had or would, and the words after it tell you which:

Short form Full form
If I'd seen you, If I had seen you,
I'd have come over. I would have come over.
  • If I had seen you, I would have come over. (not If I would have seen you)
  • If I'd seen you, I'd have come over.

C wish + had done

We use had done / had known / had been and so on in the same way after wish.

Sentence Meaning
I wish something had happened. I am sorry that it did not happen.
I wish something hadn't happened. I am sorry that it happened.

We do not say wish ... would have. Write I wish it had been quieter, not I wish it would have been quieter.

  • I wish I'd known Imran was ill. I'd have brought him some soup. (but I did not know)
  • I've got a headache. I wish I hadn't drunk so much coffee. (I drank too much)
  • Do you wish you'd gone to university? (you did not go)
  • I'm glad I went to the concert. (I went)
  • I wish I'd gone to the concert. (I did not go)
  • The hotel was noisy. I wish it had been quieter. (not I wish it would have been quieter)

D would do and would have done; could have and might have

After if I'd done, the other part of the sentence can be about the present (would do) or about the past (would have done).

In the past, would have can be replaced by could have or might have:

Form Meaning
would have gone we would certainly have gone
could have gone we would have been able to go
might have gone perhaps we would have gone
  • If I'd taken the job in London, I would be living there now. (present: I am not living there)
  • If I'd taken the job in London, I would have earned a lot more. (past: I did not earn more)
  • If the trains hadn't been on strike, we would have gone to the match.
  • If the trains hadn't been on strike, we could have gone to the match.
  • If the trains hadn't been on strike, we might have gone to the match.

Exercises

40.1 Put the verb into the correct form.

  1. I didn't know you were coming. If I'd known (I / know), I'd have made (I / make) a cake.

    I didn't know you were coming. If I'd known, I'd have made a cake.

  2. Josh reached the stop just as the last bus arrived. If (he / miss) the bus, (he / have) to walk home.

  3. Thanks for reminding me about the gas bill. (I / forget) if (you / not / remind) me.

  4. I didn't have your address, so I couldn't send you a card. If (I / have) your address, (I / send) you one.

  5. The concert was all right, but (it / be) better if the sound (not / be) so muddy.

  6. Sorry I'm late. The bus took ages. (it / be) quicker if (I / cycle).

  7. Why didn't you ask me for a lift? If (you / ask) me, (I / pick) you up.

  8. I'm not busy at the moment. If (I / be) busy, I'd tell you.

  9. I wasn't busy yesterday. If (I / be) busy, I would have told you.

40.2 Write a sentence beginning with If for each situation.

  1. I wasn't tired, so I didn't go to bed early.

    If I'd been tired, I would have gone to bed early.

    If I'd been tired, I would have gone to bed early.

  2. The crash happened because the driver was going too fast. (If the driver ...)

  3. I didn't know you were vegetarian, so I didn't make a vegetarian dish. (If I ...)

  4. Unfortunately my battery died, so I couldn't ring you.

  5. Megan wasn't hurt when she fell off her bike, because luckily she was wearing a helmet.

  6. You didn't sleep last night. That's why you're tired now.

  7. I didn't buy the jacket because I didn't have enough money.

  8. Sam didn't pass his driving test, so he couldn't drive to the festival.

40.3 Imagine that you are in each situation. Write a sentence with I wish.

  1. You stayed up far too late and now you are exhausted. You say:

    I wish I hadn't stayed up so late.

    I wish I hadn't stayed up so late.

  2. When you were at school, you never learned to swim. Now you regret this. You say:

  3. You've had your hair cut very short. Now you think it doesn't suit you. Short was the wrong choice. You say:

  4. You decided to fly, but the airport was chaotic and you waited for hours. Going by train would have been better. (I wish we ...)

  5. Last summer you went to Rome with a friend. You didn't have time to see everything you wanted to see. You say:

  6. You bought an expensive phone a few months ago. Now you think buying it was a waste of money. You say:

See also