Expressing Regrets

About The Past

wish + past perfect

We can use the structure: ‘wish + the past perfect tense’ to talk about
our past regrets.
I wish I hadn’t drunk that cup of coffee.
My mom wishes she had chosen a house with a bigger kitchen.
should have / ought to have + v3

We can also use the structure: should have / ought to have + the past
participle (v3) to talk about past regrets.
In American English, we use should have in questions and negative
statements.
James should’ve waited for the ‘Galaxy TAB S10 Ultra’. Instead, he
went and bought the ‘TAB S9 Ultra’.
if only + past perfect

● To express a very strong regret about the past, we can use the
structure: if only + the past perfect tense.
If only I had moved to California when I was a kid. (I wish I had.)
● We can also use if only in a ‘past unreal conditional’ statement and
include a ‘result clause’.
If only Brock had given me the money, I would’ve become a billionaire.