Expressing regrets, by Isabel Bastida

1. Isabel Bastida
EOI CARTAGENA

2. HOW TO EXPRESS REGRET:
1) THE VERB REGRET
2) SHOULD HAVE/ SHOULDN’T HAVE
3) I WISH/ IF ONLY

3. REGRET + -ing (PAST
EVENTS)
Do you regret not
spending time with your
beloved ones?
Is there anything you
regret doing when you
were a teenager?

4. SHOULD HAVE/
SHOULDN’T HAVE +
pp (WHAT I DID WASN’T A
GOOD IDEA)
She should have left me
alone. I was red in
anger.
We shouldn’t have put
off the appointment.
Now he feels really
unwell.

5. I WISH/ IF ONLY + past
simple
(Sorry for a present situation)
I wish I was/ were taller
If only he could remember
my name

6. I WISH/ IF ONLY + past
perfect
(Sorry for a past situation)
If only things had turned
out differently.
I wish they hadn’t left so
early.

7. I WISH/ IF ONLY +
would
(Annoying)
I wish you wouldn’t call
me that.
I wish he would quit
smoking.

9. STUDENT A STUDENT B
• An activity you wish you
were good at.
• Something you wish your
relatives wouldn’t do.
• Something you wish had
never been invented.
• A possession you wish
you had.
• A famous person you
wish you could meet.
• An aspect of your
personality you wish you
were good at.
• Something you wish
people in your country
wouldn’t do.
• A concert you wish you
had seen.

10. ABOUT YOU THINGS PEOPLE DO
THAT ANNOY YOU
• I wish my (friends, family)
wouldn’t …
• I wish (people, politicians,
your boss, etc.) wouldn’t
…
• I wish young people today
would / wouldn’t …
• I wish I could ...
• I wish I was/ were more
…
• I wish I wasn’t/ weren’t
so …
• I wish I had …
• I wish …