FROM GRAMMAR TO WRITING PART 1 Editing Advice 1. Don’t use will with an unreal conditional.
were
If I will be on Mars, I would look for life forms. 2. Always use the base form after a modal.
have
The teacher would has helped you with your science project if you had asked her. 3. Use the past perfect, not the present perfect, for unreal conditionals and wishes.
had
If you have seen the movie, you would have understood more about dinosaurs.
had
I wish you have seen the movie. 4. For a real conditional about the future, use the simple present in the if clause. If I will have time tomorrow, I will help you with your science project. 5. In formal writing, use were, not was, in an unreal conditional.
were
I wish I was a better student in science.
PART 2 Editing Practice Some of the shaded words and phrases have mistakes. Find the mistakes and correct them. If the shaded words are correct, write C.
C
had
1.
2.
There are a few things in my life that I wish were different. First, I wish I have a better job and made more money. Unfortunately, I don’t have the skills for a better job. When I was in high 3.
school, I wasn’t interested in college. My parents always said, “We wish you would continued 4.
your education,” but I was foolish and didn’t listen to them. If I have gone to college, I will be 5.
6.
making much more money now. And if I had more money, I could help my family back home. 7.
8.
And, if I will be better educated, my parents would be very proud of me. I wish I can convince 9.
10.
11.
my younger brothers and sister about the importance of an education, but they’ll have to make their own decisions. Another thing I’m not happy about is my living situation. I have a roommate because I can’t afford to pay the rent alone. I wish I don’t have a roommate. My roommate always watches TV, 12.
and the TV is too loud. I wish he would turn off the TV at night and let me sleep. My parents have 13.
told me, “If I were you, I will get a better roommate.” But we signed a one-year lease together, and I 14.
15.
can’t do anything about it until next May. If I had known that he was going to be so inconsiderate, 16.
I never would had roomed with him. I wish it was May already! I prefer to live alone rather than 17.
342
18.
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