If I had known … / I wish I had known …
Imagined Past Situations & Past Regrets — Complete Guide
If I had known … / I wish I had known …
Situations Passées Imaginées & Regrets sur le Passé — Guide Complet
Master if + past perfect for imagined past situations, I wish + past perfect for past regrets, and the contrast between would do, would have done, could have and might have
Maîtrisez if + plus-que-parfait pour les situations passées imaginées, I wish + plus-que-parfait pour les regrets passés, et le contraste entre would do, would have done, could have et might have
If I had known … / I wish I had known … — to talk about an imagined past situation (something that didn't happen), we use if + past perfect (had done). We use I wish + past perfect to express regret about something in the past. This unit covers both structures, the key contrast with Unit 39, and the use of would have / could have / might have.
If I had known … / I wish I had known … — pour parler d'une situation passée imaginée (quelque chose qui ne s'est pas passé), on utilise if + plus-que-parfait (had done). On utilise I wish + plus-que-parfait pour exprimer un regret sur le passé. Cette unité couvre les deux structures, le contraste avec l'unité 39, et l'usage de would have / could have / might have.
If + Past Perfect — Imagining a Different Past
If + Plus-que-parfait — Imaginer un passé différent
We use if + past perfect (had done / had known / had been) to talk about a past situation that didn't happen — we are imagining a different past. We use would have + past participle in the other part of the sentence.
On utilise if + plus-que-parfait (had done / had known / had been) pour parler d'une situation passée qui ne s'est pas produite — on imagine un passé différent. On utilise would have + participe passé dans l'autre partie de la phrase.
If I'd known you were in hospital, I would have gone to visit you. (but I didn't know)
If I'd seen you in the street, I would have said hello. (but I didn't see you)
They would have gone out if they hadn't been so tired. (but they were tired)
Imagined Past → if + had done
Passé imaginé → if + had done
Imagined Present → if + past simple
Présent imaginé → if + prétérit
Never Use "Would Have" in the If-Clause
Ne jamais utiliser "would have" dans la proposition if
Just as with Unit 39, we do not say if … would have. We use would have only in the result clause (the other part of the sentence), not in the if clause.
Comme dans l'unité 39, on ne dit pas if … would have. On utilise would have uniquement dans la proposition principale, pas dans la proposition en if.
I Wish + Past Perfect — Regretting the Past
I Wish + Plus-que-parfait — Regretter le passé
We use had done / known / been in the same way after wish when we regret something that happened (or didn't happen) in the past.
On utilise had done / known / been de la même façon après wish pour regretter quelque chose qui s'est passé (ou ne s'est pas passé) dans le passé.
I wish I'd known Gary was ill. (= I didn't know — I'm sorry)
I feel sick. I wish I hadn't eaten so much. (= I ate too much — I regret it)
Do you wish you'd studied science instead of languages? (= you didn't study science)
I wish + had done (past regret)
I wish + had done (regret passé)
I wish + past simple (present regret)
I wish + prétérit (regret présent)
Would Have / Could Have / Might Have — and the Present/Past Mix
Would Have / Could Have / Might Have — et le mélange présent/passé
In the result clause, we can use would have, could have or might have with different nuances. We can also mix a past if-clause with a present result.
Dans la proposition principale, on peut utiliser would have, could have ou might have avec des nuances différentes. On peut aussi mélanger une proposition if passée avec un résultat présent.
→ … we would have gone out. (certain imagined past outcome)
→ … we could have gone out. (= we would have been able to go)
→ … we might have gone out. (= maybe we would have gone)
Sometimes a past if-clause has a present result (using would be, not would have been):
Parfois une proposition if passée a un résultat présent (avec would be, pas would have been) :
If I'd gone to the party last night, I would have met lots of people. (past)
Exercise 1 — Put the verb into the correct form
Exercice 1 — Mettez le verbe à la bonne forme
Use if + past perfect and would have / wouldn't have.
Utilisez if + plus-que-parfait et would have / wouldn't have.
Exercise 2 — Write a sentence beginning "If …" for each situation
Exercice 2 — Écrivez une phrase commençant par "If …" pour chaque situation
Use if + past perfect to describe what would have happened differently.
Utilisez if + plus-que-parfait pour décrire ce qui aurait pu se passer différemment.
Exercise 3 — Write sentences with "I wish …" expressing past regrets
Exercice 3 — Écrivez des phrases avec "I wish …" pour des regrets passés
Use I wish + past perfect (had done / hadn't done).
Utilisez I wish + plus-que-parfait (had done / hadn't done).
Exercise 4 — Mixed: Unit 39 vs Unit 40 contrast
Exercice 4 — Mixte : contraste Unité 39 vs Unité 40
Choose past simple (imagined present) OR past perfect (imagined past).
Choisissez le prétérit (présent imaginé) OU le plus-que-parfait (passé imaginé).
Frequently Asked Questions — If I had known / I wish I had known
Questions fréquentes — If I had known / I wish I had known
Unit 39 (if I knew) uses if + past simple to imagine a present or general situation that is NOT real now: If I knew his number, I'd call him. (= I don't know it now). Unit 40 (if I had known) uses if + past perfect to imagine a different past — something that DIDN'T happen: If I had known, I would have called him. (= I didn't know in the past, so I didn't call). The key is: present imagined → past simple. Past imagined → past perfect.
Unité 39 utilise if + prétérit pour imaginer une situation présente non réelle. Unité 40 utilise if + plus-que-parfait pour imaginer un passé différent. La clé : présent imaginé → prétérit. Passé imaginé → plus-que-parfait.
No — if I would have known is always wrong in standard English. The correct form is if I had known (or if I'd known). Never put would have inside the if-clause. Would have goes in the other part of the sentence: If I had known, I would have called.
Non — if I would have known est toujours incorrect en anglais standard. La forme correcte est if I had known (ou if I'd known). Ne mettez jamais would have dans la proposition if.
The contraction 'd can mean either had or would — context tells you which. In the if-clause, 'd = had: If I'd seen you = If I had seen you. In the result clause after the if-clause, 'd = would: I'd have called = I would have called. When you see 'd have + past participle, it is always would have.
La contraction 'd peut signifier had ou would selon le contexte. Dans la prop. if : 'd = had. Dans la prop. principale : 'd = would. Quand vous voyez 'd have + participe passé, c'est toujours would have.
Would have = the certain/expected imagined outcome: We would have gone out. Could have = we would have been able to (possibility/ability): We could have gone out. Might have = maybe / possibly (less certain): We might have gone out. All three are used in the result clause after an if + past perfect clause.
Would have = résultat imaginé certain/attendu. Could have = on aurait pu (capacité). Might have = peut-être. Les trois s'utilisent dans la proposition principale après une prop. if + plus-que-parfait.
Yes! Sometimes the condition is in the past but the result is felt in the present. In this case, use if + past perfect + would + base verb (not would have): If I'd gone to the party last night, I would be tired now. (present result — I am not tired now). Compare: If I'd gone, I would have met lots of people. (past result).
Oui ! Parfois la condition est dans le passé mais le résultat se ressent dans le présent. Dans ce cas, utilisez if + plus-que-parfait + would + base verbale : If I'd gone to the party last night, I would be tired now. Comparez : If I'd gone, I would have met lots of people. (résultat passé).
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