Hypotheticals

Now this is mostly review I just want to make sure we’re very clear on hypotheticals so that we understand the basic grammar structure so that you’re able to use it for the next part.

When we talk about possibilities.

So just as a review a hypothetical is something that we imagine that is not true and may never be true if monkeys could fly if monkeys could fly.

They would rule the earth.

OK so we can just imagine anything that way.

If people lived on Mars then I would go there.

We can talk about our actions if another thing happens.

That’s what you would do but it may never happen.

OK if would if I would if I lived in Beijing.

Notice that we use the past tense here and we’re using past tense even though it’s not really in the past is it.

No.

If I lived in Beijing I would never take the subway.

Could we say I would never take the subway if I lived in Beijing.

The answer is yes.

But just as before we would take out that comma OK same thing.

If I were a doctor I would charge less.

So maybe I think doctors charge too much money.

If I were a doctor I would charge less.

I can say that because I’m not a doctor and I probably never will be.

In fact I’m pretty sure I won’t be but if I were.

Now notice we use were here if you were if she was if he was if we were we use this to create hypothetical use if then we say I would she would they would would is very important here.

It tells us that it isn’t real.

It tells us that we are just imagining it.

These are a little bit different because lived in the past tense but actually they’re very similar because I don’t live in Beijing and may never I’m not a doctor and may never be.

So this has to be very very clear because this is so common in English.

It’s very important that you really understand how to use this type of sentence so we know how to talk about our intentions and our actions.

The cause of the result which is what we do and we know how to talk about hypotheticals things we imagine so let’s kind of bring all this together and talk about back to our topic.

Future Possibilities things that may or may not happen often these are things that are out of our control or we could also often say out of our hands it’s out of your hands that means you have no control over some part of it but if you have no control over some thing that may or may not happen in the future you can talk about actions that you will do.

If this happens or if this happens you can talk about actions that will happen whether or not this happens.

So that might be a little bit difficult to understand but let me explain.

OK.

OK it may rain tomorrow it may not.

If it doesn’t rain tomorrow I guess we can go to the zoo.

So maybe a father is speaking to his children.

Children say Can we go to the zoo tomorrow.

Well if it doesn’t rain tomorrow I guess means that’s OK I guess we can go to the zoo.

If it does rain tomorrow will we go to the zoo.

No no we will not.

OK.

If I go to Canada next year I will stay in Toronto.

Now maybe I have some control over whether or not I go to Canada.

We don’t know all of the details in that situation.

If I go where will I stay.

TORONTO If I don’t go I won’t go to Toronto.

But I have the next action sort of ready.

I have the next plan ready for if this thing does happen and it may or may not.

If my English improves I should be able to get that accounting job so maybe this course is helping you improve your English and there are many other things you can do to improve your English if your English improves.

What will happen if my English improves I can get that accounting job.

You have this job you really really want to be an accountant maybe in an international company.

And the result.

That thing that you want.

It depends on whether or not your English gets better.

If it doesn’t well you get the job.

No.

If my English doesn’t improve well then I guess I’ll just stay at my current job.

So again we have two possibilities because we really don’t know what’s going to happen here.

We can plan for the future this way.

This is how we talk about alternatives alternatives.

An alternative is another choice.

You could do this or this or this or this and this is the grammar that we used to do that.

This is how we express it.