Unreal Past

Wish or If only

  

We use wish or if only when we want to describe imaginary or unreal situations. These are often regretes

Wish or if only + past tense describes imaginary present or future:  

• If only I were taller

Wish or if only + past perfect describes the imaginary past: 

• I wish I had been a good photographer. 

Wish + object + would is used to complain: 

• I wish you would be quiet!

It´s time, It´s high time, It´s about time

We use those above + past tence to say something should be happening now but isn´t. Besides, it is often used for criticizing someone or something.

• It´s high time you  stopped acting like a child.
•  It´s about time  you finished  that homework.

Would rather

 We use Would rather + simple past to describe preferences. 

• I´d rather she gave me the cash.
• We´d rather you had not taken photos.

We use would rather + base form when the person who expresses the preference and the subject are the same.

•  I´d rather dance salsa than tango.
• I´d rather know the truth now than later. 

These expression are often to refure permission:

•  I´d rather you didn´t smoke in my home.

What if or Suppose

We use what if or suppose + past tense to ask about an imaginary situation in the present or future:

• Suppose you asked the bank for a loan?

We use what if or suppose + past perdect to ask about an imaginary situation in the past:

•  What if we had arrived earlier?

We use what if or suppose + simple present to ask about situation that we think is probable:

•  What if your plan doesn´t work?

 

Have you ever heard about Graphene?

It will change your life. Why? Well the graphene is a special material, which has amazing characteristic and has come to change the world. It was first used by Andréy Gueim and Konstatín Novosiólov, whom in 2010 won the Nobel Prize of Physics because of their revolutionary discoveries about this material.

So, what is graphene? It is a substance made from Carbon. This material arises when tiny particles of Carbon are very densely grouped into two very thin sheets; its structure is organized as a honeycomb, which makes the graphene 200 times stronger than the steel and 200 times less heavy. Besides, it is obtained from Graphite. This is in our daily lives in a pencil lead.

We can look around and in everything we see the Graphene could be used. For its characteristics, the Graphene could be used to make cars, satellites, buildings and airplanes more safe. But it stand out in the electronic field, where for its ability to store energy can provide batteries last longer; stablish fast connection and even it could help the environments because it will susbtitute other materials that right now are polluting the world. In adiction, it could be used in medicine field such as prosthesis.

Graphene is like any material known. It has the ability to improve the condition which it is applied. Not only that, it is like "Superman" because it can health itself, it is strong, flexible, transparent and lightweight and thereby Graphene will change our daily life. Besides, it is a good conductor of energy promising for clean energies.
 

Finally, the graphene still in a stage of study and no longer can we see its use in everyone´s life. Nevertheless, one thing is sure; this generation will see the properties that this awesome material could offer us.

Fronting

Fronting is rephrasing sentences by moving the object, verb, adjetive or adverb to the front of the sentences. This is informal English, but it gives more emphasis.

Intelligent she may be, but kind she isn´t it!

We sometimes add What or another question word. Such as:

The fact that my friend just can´t see it really irritates me...

> What really irritate me is the fact that my friend just can´t see it...

I´ll never understand why you went there.

> Why you went there, I´ll never understand

We can use fronting to emphazise the subject or sometimes to provide a clear link with the previous sentences. For example:

Her first book was bad. Much better was her second.

She told us to go quickly. This we did.

  


We  can front verbs and adjetives with as and though.

Tired though I was, I didn´t stop running.

Also we can use fronting phrases, for example: the trouble is, the fact of the matter and the fact remains that. It help us to emphazise the importance of what we are going to say. 

The trouble is, she´s so lazy.

The thing is, I really wanted the job.

The question is, can we get her to join us?

The fact of the matter is, you´re not strong enough.

The fact remains that we still have no evidence.

An example of woman

The life story about Maya Angelou is not just interesting. It is a story of strength and resilience. She was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 4, 1928. Unfortunately, she died a few months ago. I didn´t know anything about her, but since a friend told me about her I go captivated by her story and also her poems.

Let me tell you that Maya´s life was no easy since the beginning. Her mother was a prostitute for a while. Maya was abused by one of her mother´s boyfriends when she was eight years old. That ruin event traumatized Maya. She wrote a book of this part of her life called “I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings”. On it, she describes her childhood, living with her grandmother, the problematic relationship with her mother and her pregnancy at sixteen years old.

When she was young, she discovered her vocation for the language. She remained mute for five years. Then thanks to a teacher, she started to talk again. Her first novel, “Gather Together in My Name”, is about the difficulties of being a single mother with unstable job and tough love relationships. At the end of the fifty´s with her book “The Heart of a Woman”, she reaches a successful career as a singer, dance, magazine´s director civil right activist, poet and novelist. In almost all of her writings, she explains about racism, survival, esteem and perseverance.

As I said before, this black woman was a fighter, example of life and resilience. Maybe most of you do not know her. Therefore, I wanted you to know her and remember that it does not matter how hard it is, if you really want something, is possible. We have to continue and never give up. As it is said in Maya´s poem “And Still I Rise”:

“…You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I´ll rise…”

Using Logical connectors of time and contrast

Connectors or transition words are, as the name said, words that allow us to connect or link sentences in order to create a whole idea. These are important because they make the sentences to have coherence between them. If we do not use them when we write, we will get unclear ideas and probably we could send a wrong message. 

Here are some linking words you could use and thereby you could improve your writings. 

Use words from this chart to make logical relationships explicit.

In this link you could find more: Linking words 

Finally, I share with you this video that explain more how you can use connectors