Understanding the Unreal Past

This video lesson, led by Stewart, explores the concept of the unreal past in English. The unreal past involves using past tense forms to express present or future meanings in unreal situations, such as impossible wishes or hypothetical scenarios. The lesson covers various structures, including conditional sentences with 'if', expressions with 'if only' for regrets, using 'wish' for unreal situations, preferences with 'would rather' and 'would sooner', and expressions with 'it's time'. Each section provides examples to illustrate how the unreal past is applied in different contexts. The lesson concludes with a call to action for viewers to share the video on social media.

What is the main focus of today's English lesson?

• The passive voice

• The future continuous tense

• The unreal past and its usage

• The use of the present perfect tense

In which type of sentences is the unreal past used with 'if'?

• Exclamatory sentences

• Interrogative sentences

• Conditional sentences

• Imperative sentences

What does the sentence 'If you came to the party on Friday, you might get to meet Sam' illustrate?

• A real past event

• A present fact

• A future possibility

• An unreal situation

What is the unreal past used for?

• Describing real past events

• Expressing unreal situations or impossible wishes

• Formulating questions

• Giving commands

What tense is used in the unreal past to convey present or future meaning?

• Present perfect tense

• Present tense

• Future tense

• Past tense

What is the purpose of using the past tense in the unreal past?

• To describe past events

• To express real situations

• To ask questions

• To convey present or future meaning

What does 'if only' express in the context of the unreal past?

• Certainty

• Regrets and impossible wishes

• Future plans

• Past achievements

Which of the following is an example of using 'if only'?

• If only I will have been taller

• If only I were taller

• If only I am taller

• If only I will be taller

What does the use of 'wish' in the unreal past express?

• A question

• A completed action

• A desire about the present or future

• A command

Which sentence correctly uses 'wish' in the unreal past?

• I wish I will be taller

• I wish I am taller

• I wish I were taller

• I wish I have been taller