Hypothetical situations

  1. Hypothetical situations are circumstances that we imagine. We use the present tense when we think that a situation is likely to happen
  • You should take an umbrella in case it rains
  • Take your phone. What if you need to contact me?
  1. We use the past tense if we think the situation is not likely to happen
  • What if you lost your job?
  • They didn’t take a map, I suppose they got lost
  1. We use 'would' and 'could' for hypothetical situations in the future
  • I don’t think I would like living in Canada. I would hate the weather.
  • John is coming to visit. He could stay with us. A hotel would be too expensive.
  1. We use 'would' in the main clause and a past tense in a subordinate clause to talk about an imagined future
  • I would hate to be in a situation where I needed help to do everyday tasks
  • She would never tell anyone if you told her not to
  1. We use modals with 'have' to talk about something that did not happen in the past
  • I didn’t know you had nothing to do yesterday. I would have called you.
  • It’s a pity you didn’t come last night. You would have enjoyed yourself.
  • It’s a good thing they repaired the traffic lights. There might have been an accident.
  • Why didn’t you call me? I could have come and picked you up.
Practice this grammar