Language Bank 2

2.1

A

  1. If you'd listened to my advice, you wouldn't be in such a terrible situation now.
  2. I regret becoming a manager so young. I wish I'd spent more time in the industry first.
  3. We wouldn't have found your house if we hadn't called you on the mobile.
  4. Imagine if Donner Textiles Ltd had taken over the company, it would have caused all kinds of problems.*
  5. Had they told us about that hotel, we would be there now, instead of in this dump!
  6. But for the emergency services arriving so quickly, many more people would have died in the fire.
  7. If I'd known she didn't eat wheat, I wouldn't have cooked pasta.
  8. It's such a shame: had she not pulled a muscle, she would have won the race.

B

  1. If we hadn't gambled on red, we would have won.
  2. They wouldn't have asked him to the party if he wasn't (weren't) famous.
  3. The boys regret borrowing your car.
  4. Had she known you were a vegetarian, she wouldn't have bought fish.
  5. If only I hadn't forgotten my keys, we wouldn't be locked out.
  6. If I hadn't dropped out of university, I wouldn't be working in a boring, low-paid job.
  7. Ahmed wishes he'd spoken to you before he left.
  8. But for his injury, we would have won.

Donner Textiles examples

* This sentence sounds odd if you make the condition negative:

Imagine if Donner Textiles Ltd hadn't taken over the company, it would have caused all kinds of problems.

This is probably because we expect the pronoun it when used with the verb causeto refer to some positive entity.

Rephrased with there would have been, it sounds much better:

Imagine if Donner Textiles Ltd hadn't taken over the company, there would have been all kinds of problems.

would / might

When would is used in a result clause, the result is certain. A less certain result can be expressed with might, may or could.

2.2

A

  1. making
  2. to underestimate
  3. to impress
  4. walking
  5. to have formed
  6. to say
  7. judging
  8. to do
  9. to give

B

  1. Correct
  2. I don't know why you waste all your time sitting in front of the computer.
  3. Cooder was encouraged to play the guitar by his father.
  4. They hoped to meet up with some of the stars after the show.
  5. They were rumoured to have got married in secret.
  6. I have up the idea of going into politics when I was in my thirties.
  7. We were tempted to ask if we could stay the night, but we thought it might seem rude.
  8. Correct

2.3

  1. a
  2. c
  3. i
  4. h
  5. f
  6. g
  7. b
  8. d
  9. e