Page 92 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
40 if I had known … I wish I had known …

A Study this example situation:
Last month Gary was in hospital for a few days. Rachel didn’t know this.
A few days ago they met by chance. Rachel said:

If I’d known you were in hospital, I would have gone to visit you.
(= I didn’t know, so I didn’t go to visit you)
If I’d known = If I had known. This tells us that she didn’t know before.

We use if + had (’d) … to talk about the past (if I’d known / if you’d done etc.):
I didn’t see you when you passed me in the street. If I’d seen you, I would have said hello.
They didn’t go out last night. They would have gone out if they hadn’t been so tired.
(but they were tired)
If you’d been looking where you were going, you wouldn’t have walked into the wall.
(but you weren’t looking)
The view was wonderful. I would have taken some pictures if I’d had (= if I had had)
a camera with me. (but I didn’t have a camera)
Compare:
I’m not hungry. If I was hungry, I would eat something. (now)
I wasn’t hungry. If I had been hungry, I would have eaten something. (past)

B We do not say ‘if something would have happened’. We use would in the other part of the sentence:
If I had seen you, I would have said hello. (not If I would have seen you)
The short form ’d can be would or had:
If I’d seen you, (I’d seen = I had seen)
I’d have said hello. (I’d have said = I would have said)

C We use had done/known/been etc. in the same way after wish.
I wish something had happened = I am sorry that it didn’t happen
I wish something hadn’t happened = I am sorry that it happened
I wish I’d known that Gary was ill. I would have gone to see him. (but I didn’t know)
I feel sick. I wish I hadn’t eaten so much. (I ate too much)
Do you wish you’d studied science instead of languages? (you didn’t study science)
Compare:
I’m glad I saw him. (= I saw him)
I wish I’d seen him. (= I didn’t see him)
We do not say ‘wish … would have …’ .
The weather was cold. I wish it had been warmer. (not I wish it would have been)

D Compare would (do) and would have (done):
If I’d gone to the party last night, I would be tired now. (I am not tired now – present)
If I’d gone to the party last night, I would have met lots of people. (I didn’t meet lots
of people – past)
Compare would have, could have and might have:

⎧ we would have gone out.
⎪ we could have gone out.
⎪
If the weather hadn’t been so bad, ⎨ (= we would have been able to go out)
⎪ we might have gone out.
⎪
⎩ (= maybe we would have gone out)

80 had done ➜ Unit 15 if I do / if I did ➜ Unit 38 if I knew / I wish I knew ➜ Unit 39 wish ➜ Unit 41