EXPRESSING WISHES AND REGRET W O R K S H E E T

REVIEW

Wishes for the past (= unreal past: we cannot change it)

I wish / If only + subject + past perfect (= had + past participle)

* If only I had studied for the exam! But I didn't so I failed!

* If only he hadn't lied to me! Now I can't trust him.

Wishes expressing complaints (a situation you wish would change but you know it won’t)
I wish / If only + subject + would + infinitive
* If only the teacher wouldn't give us any homework!
* I wish he would stop spending so much time on the Internet!
(We make these wishes only about others not ourselves)
Wishes expressing lack of ability (you wish you could do something but you can’t)
I wish / If only + subject + could + infinitive
* Helen wishes she could dance like Diana. (but she can't)
* I wish Martha could come on holiday with us. (but she can't)

Write the wishes:

1. You want to go to the cinema tonight.

I wish

2. You haven't got any chocolate but you want some.

If only

3. It’s raining but you don’t want it to rain.

I wish

4. Thomas can't go to the sea with you and he's your best friend.

I wish

5. You've just painted the front door red. Now you think it doesn't look nice.

I wish

6. Tom had an accident last week but he wishes he hadn’t.

Tom wishes

7. You have to go to go to school tomorrow but you'd like to stay in bed instead!

I wish

8. A lot of people drop litter in the street. You don't like this.

I wish
9. James has been offered a job in Spain but he can’t speak Spanish.

He wishes

10.She didn’t get good marks for Chemistry.

She wish

11. He lied to Sally but he’s sorry about it.

He wishes

12.I love him but he doesn’t love me!

I wish

13. You don't know anything about cars and your car has broken down again!

I wish

14. You're walking in the mountains. It's really beautiful so you'd like to take some photos
but you didn't bring your camera.

If only

15. We’re sorry we missed the bus.

If only we

16. She wants to watch TV all day, but she can’t.

She wishes

17. You're telling your friend about the man next door. He often plays the drums late at
night and this really annoys you.

If only

18. I don’t have many friends here.

I wish

19. Alex lives in a really noisy street. She hates it because she can't get to sleep at night.

Alex wishes

20. Your best friends smoke but you don't like this.

I wish

21. I don’t have a big house.

I wish

22. She wants to spend her holiday in Bahamas.

She wishes