Level 07 – Step 05 : Past Perfect Subjunctive (Regret) (If I had studied, I would have passed. If she had come, we would have started.)
/Level 07 – Step 05 : Past Perfect Subjunctive (Regret) (If I had studied, I would have passed. If she had come, we would have started.)
🚪 Let’s Begin
/🚪 Let’s Begin
🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how to talk about things we regret or wish had been different in the past.
/🦉Professor Owl: Today we will learn how to talk about things we regret or wish had been different in the past.
🐧Igupen: That sounds sad but useful.
/🐧Igupen: That sounds sad but useful.
🐧Igupen: How do we say “I wish I did something differently”?
/🐧Igupen: How do we say “I wish I did something differently”?
🦉Professor Owl: Ho ho.
/🦉Professor Owl: Ho ho.
🦉Professor Owl: We use a special past form with “had” and then “would have” to tell about a different past result.
/🦉Professor Owl: We use a special past form with “had” and then “would have” to tell about a different past result.
Listen to the examples and imagine the different endings.
/Listen to the examples and imagine the different endings.
📚 Lesson
/📚 Lesson
What is the past perfect subjunctive for regret?
/What is the past perfect subjunctive for regret?
We use “If + subject + had + past participle, subject + would have + past participle” to talk about past events that did not happen and their imagined results.
/We use “If + subject + had + past participle, subject + would have + past participle” to talk about past events that did not happen and their imagined results.
Structure: If + had + past participle, + would have + past participle.
/Structure: If + had + past participle, + would have + past participle.
Example: If I had studied, I would have passed.
/Example: If I had studied, I would have passed.
(But I did not study, so I did not pass.)
/(But I did not study, so I did not pass.)
Example: If she had come, we would have started.
/Example: If she had come, we would have started.
(But she did not come, so we did not start.)
/(But she did not come, so we did not start.)
Use this form to show regret or to imagine how the past could have been different.
/Use this form to show regret or to imagine how the past could have been different.
Common verbs: studied → had studied; seen → had seen; known → had known.
/Common verbs: studied → had studied; seen → had seen; known → had known.
The result uses “would have” plus a past participle: would have passed, would have started.
/The result uses “would have” plus a past participle: would have passed, would have started.
Important: This is about past time only.
/Important: This is about past time only.
It cannot change what already happened; it only shows an imagined different past.
/It cannot change what already happened; it only shows an imagined different past.
🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
/🦉Professor Owl’s one-point tip
Find the real past fact first.
/Find the real past fact first.
If the fact did not happen, use “If + had + past participle” then “would have + past participle” to imagine the different result.
/If the fact did not happen, use “If + had + past participle” then “would have + past participle” to imagine the different result.
Quick checks inside the lesson
/Quick checks inside the lesson
Fact: I did not study → Imagined: If I had studied, I would have passed.
/Fact: I did not study → Imagined: If I had studied, I would have passed.
Fact: She did not come → Imagined: If she had come, we would have started.
/Fact: She did not come → Imagined: If she had come, we would have started.
🌼 Sample Sentences
/🌼 Sample Sentences
No.01 If I had studied, I would have passed.
/No.01 If I had studied, I would have passed.
No.02 If she had come, we would have started.
/No.02 If she had come, we would have started.
No.03 If they had left earlier, they would have arrived on time.
/No.03 If they had left earlier, they would have arrived on time.
No.04 If he had told the truth, he would have been forgiven.
/No.04 If he had told the truth, he would have been forgiven.
No.05 If we had saved money, we would have bought a bike.
/No.05 If we had saved money, we would have bought a bike.
No.06 If you had asked, I would have helped.
/No.06 If you had asked, I would have helped.
No.07 If I had known the answer, I would have said it.
/No.07 If I had known the answer, I would have said it.
No.08 If the team had practiced more, they would have won the game.
/No.08 If the team had practiced more, they would have won the game.
No.09 If she had brought a map, we would not have gotten lost.
/No.09 If she had brought a map, we would not have gotten lost.
No.10 If the teacher had explained, everyone would have understood.
/No.10 If the teacher had explained, everyone would have understood.
🎓 Practice exercises
/🎓 Practice exercises
Note: Think first, then check the answers.
/Note: Think first, then check the answers.
Q1: Rewrite as a regret sentence: I did not study → (If I / study / I / pass)
/Q1: Rewrite as a regret sentence: I did not study → (If I / study / I / pass)
Q2: Change to past perfect subjunctive: He did not tell me the secret → (If he / tell me / I / know)
/Q2: Change to past perfect subjunctive: He did not tell me the secret → (If he / tell me / I / know)
Q3: True or False: Use past perfect + would have for imagining past results.
/Q3: True or False: Use past perfect + would have for imagining past results.
Q4: Complete: If they had left earlier, they ________ on time. (arrive)
/Q4: Complete: If they had left earlier, they ________ on time. (arrive)
Q5: Make the sentence showing regret: She did not come → (If she / come / we / start)
/Q5: Make the sentence showing regret: She did not come → (If she / come / we / start)
Q6: Fill the correct form: If you had asked, I ________ you. (help)
/Q6: Fill the correct form: If you had asked, I ________ you. (help)
Q7: Choose the correct sentence: A) If I had known, I would have come. B) If I have known, I would have come.
/Q7: Choose the correct sentence: A) If I had known, I would have come. B) If I have known, I would have come.
Q8: Complete: If he had practiced, he ________ the piano well. (play)
/Q8: Complete: If he had practiced, he ________ the piano well. (play)
Q9: Identify the fact behind: “If I had known, I would have told you.” — Did I know before? (Yes / No)
/Q9: Identify the fact behind: “If I had known, I would have told you.” — Did I know before? (Yes / No)
Q10: Correct the sentence: If we had went, we would have seen it.
/Q10: Correct the sentence: If we had went, we would have seen it.
◆ Answers
/◆ Answers
A1: If I had studied, I would have passed.
/A1: If I had studied, I would have passed.
A2: If he had told me, I would have known.
/A2: If he had told me, I would have known.
A3: True.
/A3: True.
A4: would have arrived → If they had left earlier, they would have arrived on time.
/A4: would have arrived → If they had left earlier, they would have arrived on time.
A5: If she had come, we would have started.
/A5: If she had come, we would have started.
A6: would have helped → If you had asked, I would have helped you.
/A6: would have helped → If you had asked, I would have helped you.
A7: A is correct: If I had known, I would have come.
/A7: A is correct: If I had known, I would have come.
A8: would have played → If he had practiced, he would have played the piano well.
/A8: would have played → If he had practiced, he would have played the piano well.
A9: No — I did not know before.
/A9: No — I did not know before.
A10: Correct form: If we had gone, we would have seen it.
/A10: Correct form: If we had gone, we would have seen it.
🦉 Closing
/🦉 Closing
🦉Professor Owl: Very good.Remember: use “If + had + past participle” and “would have + past participle” to talk about different pasts and regrets.
/🦉Professor Owl: Very good.Remember: use “If + had + past participle” and “would have + past participle” to talk about different pasts and regrets.
🐧Igupen: I will write three regret sentences about my last week.
/🐧Igupen: I will write three regret sentences about my last week.
🦉Professor Owl: Wonderful.Practice turning real past facts into “what if” sentences to feel this form clearly.
/🦉Professor Owl: Wonderful.Practice turning real past facts into “what if” sentences to feel this form clearly.
