In this English lesson, you will learn 4 structures to express wishes and regrets.
wish + past simple
= to describe a situation in the present that we would like to be different.
We use the past simple form, but our regret is in the present.
Example: I wish I had more friends.
wish + someone / something + "would" + base form of verb
= we want someone to change their behaviour
or
= we want something to happen
Example: I wish you would listen.
wish + past perfect
= to describe a past situation that we regret.
Example: I wish I had gone to the concert.
We can also use "never" with a negative to emphasise our regret:
Example: I wish I had never gone to the concert.
(I went to the concert. I really regret it now.)
"if only" + past perfect
= This is another way to describe situation from the past that we regret.
If only I had passed my exams.
(I didn't pass my exams. I regret it now.)
"if only" + past perfect
and
wish + past perfect
The meaning of the above 2 structures is the same.
The difference is that "if only" is slightly more formal.
There are lots of examples and detailed explanations in in the video. The accent is a British English accent.
Private English lessons and speaking practice with a native teacher: [ Ссылка ]
IELTS online course with practice tests and ebook: [ Ссылка ]
Other English lessons:
Past simple: [ Ссылка ]
Past perfect: [ Ссылка ]
Verb "to be": [ Ссылка ]
Playlists:
Grammar: [ Ссылка ]
Advice to improve your English: [ Ссылка ]_
Listening practice: [ Ссылка ]
Vocabulary: [ Ссылка ]
Andrew,
Crown Academy of English
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Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
YouTube: [ Ссылка ]
Photo credits by FreeDigitalPhotos.net:
"All The Best Guys!" by stockimages
“Man” by graur codrin
“Sad Man Looking At His Broken Car” by David Castillo Dominici
