1. F.C.E. USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4
SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
EXPRESSING WISH AND REGRET:
IF ONLY AND I WISH

2. WISHING AND REGRETTING.
Structure IF ONLY/ I WISH
COMPARE:
1.
I wish you wouldn’t make that noise!
I wish my neighbour would stop playing the drums!
I wish you wouldn’t speak like this!
- What is the speaker feeling like?
ANNOYED
- Is the situation PRESENT or PAST?
PRESENT

3. EXPRESSING WISHES AND REGRETS.
Structure IF ONLY/ I WISH
2.
I wish Tom was here. I can’t use this programme.
I wish I took my coat. It’s freezing!
I wish I spoke French.I’d like to talk to Michelle!
- What is the speaker expressing?
A WISH
- Is the speaker expressing a wish about the PRESENT or the PAST?
About the PRESENT
- It is possible for the speaker to speak French yet?

4. EXPRESSING WISHES AND REGRETS.
Structure IF ONLY/ I WISH
3.
I wish I had left the party sooner. I feel awful today.
I wish we had bought that apartment last year. The owner has raised the
price!.
- What is the speaker expressing?
A WISH OR REGRET
- Is the speaker expressing a wish about the PRESENT or the PAST?
About the PAST

5. EXPRESSING WISHES AND REGRETS.
Structure IF ONLY/ I WISH
 We can use I WISH and IF ONLY structures to express a wish or regret. IF
ONLY is stronger and more emphatic than I WISH.
1. I WISH ……Would
I wish/ If only….would is used to express a wish for something to happen or
to stop happening now or in the future, to show that we are irritated by
someone’s behaviour:
E.g.: I wish my neighbour would turn the music down! / If only my
neighbour would…..!
2. I WISH………SIMPLE PAST
I wish……Simple Past is used to express a wish for things to be different from
the way it is now, or to say that we regret something, that something is not
as we would like to be:
E.g.: I wish I spoke more languages.
E.g.: I wish I had an umbrella. (The speaker is getting soaked
because of the rain).
E.g.: I wish it didn’t rain so often.

6. EXPRESSING WISHES AND REGRETS.
Structure IF ONLY/ I WISH
3. I WISH……….PAST PERFECT
I wish….Past Perfect is used to express a wish about the past, to talk about things we regret
doing or want to be different in the past.
E.g.: I wish I had studied more for the exam
E.g.: I wish you hadn’t lost that photo. It was a really good one.

7. SUMMARY:
WISHING AND REGRETTING.
Structure IF ONLY/ I WISH

8. USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.
REGRETTING.

9. EXPRESSING REGRET
WE USE THE FOLLOWING STRUCTURES TO EXPRESS REGRET
-SUBJECT+REGRET+ (NOT) –ING
I shouldn’t have been rude to her
REGRET
REGRET I..............................................BEING RUDE
to her.
-SUBJECT+INFINITIVE without TO
We are sorry to say that he train has been cancelled.
REGRET
We…………………………………………………..............…REGRET TO SAY THAT
the train has been cancelled.

10. USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.
IF ONLY/ I WISH
USE THE PROMPTS FOR WISHING AND REGRETING
FOUND
1. IF ONLY I ……………………………………………..THE ANSWER NOW
FIND
2. IF ONLY I ……………………………………………….HAD TALKED
THE BOSS YESTERDAY
TALK
3. I WISH IT………………………………………………..WASN’T
SO LATE. I DON´T WANT TO
LEAVE.
BE
4. I WISH I……………………………………………………HAD DONE
MY HOMEWORK
YESTERDAY. TODAY I CAN’T.
DO

11. USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.
WISHING AND REGRETTING
1. I’d love to know how John is getting on.
KNEW
WISH I KNEW
I……………………………………………………….how John is getting on.
2. I’m sad because I forgot to invite Cathy to the party.
ONLY
ONLY I HAD INVITED
If …………………………………………………….Cathy to the party.
3. It’s a pity the car is so expensive.
WISH
I…………………………………………………………………..WISH THE CAR WAS/WERE NOT
so expensive.
4. I couldn’t post the letter yesterday and now it is too late.
WISH
WISH I HAD POSTED
I……………………………………………………the letter yesterday.

12. USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.
Cambridge FCE exam, June 20012
38. I regret not learning to drive when I was eighteen.
WISH
I……………………………………to drive when I was eighteen.
wish I had learnt
39. John is the only person who can come to the party tomorrow.
ABLE
Everyone………………………………………to come to the party tomorrow.
Except John is/will be able
40. Although he usually went to work by bus, Tom decided to walk that day.
INSTEAD
Tom decided to walk that day……………………………………………work
by bus as usual.
Instead of going to
I HAD LEARNT
INSTEAD OF GOING TO

13. USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.
1. You don’t listen and that’s why you make so many mistakes
COMMIT
YOU DIDN’T COMMIT
IF only ………………………….…………………………………………….so many mistakes
2. I should not have spent all my money in those shoes.
WISH
WISH I HADN’T SPENT
I…………………………………………………………………all that money in those shoes.
3. I’m not happy that they phoned me so late at night.
RATHER
I………………………………………………………………………………………………..WOULD/’D RATHER THEY HADN’T
called me
so late at night.
REVISION

14. USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.
REVISION – FRI 11
3. I don’t want to do something as dangerous as that
PREFER
I ………………………….……………………………………………………….SOMETHING
AS DANGEROUS AS THAT
4. The doctors say hat she will recover from the illness in about three weeks
TAKE
The doctors say that……………………………………………………………three weeks to
recover from the illness.
5. After a few minutes the interview was over and I left.
LASTED
The interview…………………………………………………………………………….and I
left.
WOULD/’D PREFER NOT TO DO
IT WILL TAKE HER
LASTED (FOR) A FEW MINUTES

15. 1. The goalkeeper was injured, so may be he isn’t playing today.
PLAY
The goalkeeper was injured, so
he…………………………………………………………………………………….today
2. I expect you were pleased to get home after such a terrible holiday
PLEASED
You…………………………………………………………..get home after such a terrible holiday.
3. I can never do what I want.
DO
I…………………………………………….…………………….what I want.
1. In my opinion, parents shouldn’t smack their children.
SMACK
I don’t think…………………………………………………..
5. There’s no need for you to hand the report until next week.
HAND
You……………………………………………………………………………in the report until next week.
6. I think you should tell your parents exactly what happened
BETTER
I think you…………………………………………………………………………your parents exactly what
happened.
7. I’m sure he’s not Tom. He’s in Paris now.
BE
He………………………………………………………………………………..he is in Paris now.

16. USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4
SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION
8. I wouldn’t go skiing if I were you.
THINK
I……………………………………………………………………..skiing.
9. Why can’t we go to he party?
ARE
10. Why …………………………………………………………………………………go to the
party?
It would be a good idea for you to see a dentist
SEE
I……………………………………………………………………………………….a dentist.
11. It’s posible that someone stole your purse when we were in the
restaurant
STOLEN
Someone………………………………………………………………………………when we
were in the restaurant.
MODALS

17. PREFER AND WOULD RATHER
1. I don’t want you to keep criticizing me
RATHER
I…………………………………………………………criticizing me.
2. I wish they hadn’t stayed so long.
PREFERRED
I…………………………………………………………………so long
3. I don’t want to think about that problem now
RATHER
I............................................................................about that problem now.
4. I’m not happy that they phoned me so late at night.
RATHER
I………………………………………………………………..me so late at night.

18. PREFER AND WOULD RATHER
5. It would be better for me if you gave me the money now
PREFER
I……………………………………………………………me the money now.
6. I wish I’d stayed at home
RATHER
I…………………………………………………………………..at home.
7. I didn’t want to tell him the horrible truth but I had to.
RATHER
8. I don’t want to do something as dangerous as that
PREFER
I…………………………………………………………….something as dangerous as
that.

19. ANSWERS
1.I’D RATHER YOU STOPPED CRITICIZING ME
2.I’D PREFERRED THEM NOT TO HAVE STAYED SO LONG
3.I’D RATHER NOT THINK ABOUT THAT PROBLEM NOW
4.I’D RATHER THEY HANDN’T PHONED ME SO LATE AT NIGHT
5.I’D PREFER YOU GIVE ME THE MONEY NOW
(I’D PREFER IT IF YOU GAVE ME THE MONEY NOW)
6. I’D RATHER HAVE STAYED AT HOME
7. I’D RATHER HAVEN’T TOLD HIM THE HORRIBLE TRUTH …
8. I’D PREFER NOT TO DO SOMETHING…..