Past Unreal &

Causative Form
Natalia Martínez Servín
 INTRODUCTION
3

PAST UNREAL
4

Index EXAMPLE
9

CAUSATIVE FORM
10

EXAMPLE
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INTRODUCTION
Unreal Past
Sometimes we use the past simple when referring to
the present or future. This is called Unreal Past.

Causative Form
Is used when we don´t do something ourselves, but
we arrange else (usually an expert) to do it for us.

Past Unreal & Causative Form 3

Unreal Past
Wish/ If only
• In present or future
• Wish/ if only + past simple
o I wish I had a bigger house
• Wish/ if only + could + base form
o I wish I could speak Italian
• Wish/ if only + would + base form
o I wish you would stop shouting!

Past Unreal & Causative Form 5

Wish/ If only
Past Reference
• Wish/ if only + Past Perfect Simple/ modal perfect

o I wish I had taken a torch with me. I can´t see a thing.

o Jack wishes he could have been there when his family needed him.

Past Unreal & Causative Form

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Would rather/ sooner – would prefer
Present or future reference
• Would rather/ sooner + past
simple
o I´d rather you didn´t use my phone.
• Would prefer it if + past simple
o I´d prefer it if you came earlier to
help me prepare dinner.
Past Reference
• Would rather/ sooner + past
simple
o I´d rather you had informed me
earlier.
• Would have preferred it if + past
perfect simple
o John would have preferred it if he
had told us the news himself.

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It´s time – as if/ though
Present or future reference Past reference
• It´s (high/about) time + past • As if/ as though + past perfect
simple simple
o It´s time you went to bed. o He talked to us as if he had
known us for years.
• As if/ as though + past simple
o He speaks as if he were an
expert.

Past Unreal & Causative Form

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“I wish you didn´t have to go tomorrow.»

Past Unreal & Causative Form

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Causative Form
Causative form
• It is also used to express an accident or misfortune that
happened to us. (we did it ourselves)

o We painted the house last month. (we did)

o They had their house painted last month. (a painter did)

Subject + have/get + object + past participle

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Causative form
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
I´m having my car fixed

PRESENT SIMPLE
I have my car fixed

FUTURE WILL
I´ll have my car fixed

MODAL VERBS -ING FORM

I must have my car fixed I remember having my car fixed.

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Causative form
PAST PROGRESSIVE
I was having my car fixed

PAST SIMPLE
I had my car fixed

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

I´ve had my car fixed

PAST PERFECT SIMPLE IMPERATIVE

I had had my car fixed Have my car fixed

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Aditional information
THE QUESTION AND NEGATIVE FORMS
o Present simple and past simple are formed with the auxiliaries do/ does/ did
o How often do you have your hair cut?
o Sue didn´t have her hair cut yestarday.

• In informal contexts we can use get instead of have.

• If we want to mention who performs the action, we can add by + agent at the en of the sentence. (
she always has her hair dyed by a hairdresser)
• Get somebody to do something= to persuade somebody to do something.
• Have somebody do something= to make somebody do something or ask to do something .
• Won´t have somebody doing something= won´t allow somebody to do something.

Past Unreal & Causative Form

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 <<I should have my room
redecorate.>>

Past Unreal & Causative Form

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