Communication :

Expressing regret

To express regret we use the following expressions:

• I feel sorry + simple past

Examples: - I feel sorry I went to that party.
- I feel sorry I didn’t follow my parent’s advice.

• I wish + past perfect (had/hadn’t + past participle)

Examples: - I wish I had gone to my friend’s party.
- I wish my friend had told me about her addiction.

• I regret + having + past participle

Examples: - I regret having chosen this career.
- I regret having gone on that picnic to the mountains.

• Conditional type 3 : (If + had/hadn’t + past participle, would have + past participle)
Examples: - If I had studied law, I could have been a lawyer.
- If I had gone on that picnic, I would have enjoyed my time.

Regret can also be expressed through these two expressions: If only and I wish, as follows:

wish + subject + had/hadn’t + past participle.

If only + subject + had/hadn’t + past participle.

Examples:
•Imagine that you did not get a good mark in a test because you did not revise your lessons well.
To express regret, you would say:

I wish I had revised my lessons well.

or
If only I had revised my lessons well.

•Imagine that Ahmed drove his car very fast and he had an accident.
To express regret, you would say:

I wish he hadn’t driven his car very fast.

or
If only he hadn’t driven his car very fast.
Practice:
Respond to the following situations by expressing regret using the words given:

1-He was running very fast when he had a heart attack.

-If only ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2-We lost the game because our goalkeeper was not in good physical condition.
-If only ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3-It was a pity I didn’t have enough money to pay for that computer.
-I wish ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4-She didn’t get a bank loan. So she wasn’t able to set up her own business.
-If only ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5-I couldn’t help them because I didn’t have more time.
-I wish …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6-Alice didn’t win the national competition because she didn’t train enough.
-If only …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
7-He didn’t take part in the school competition because he didn’t know about its date.
-He wishes ………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8-I hurt my leg in a car crash because I didn’t drive carefully.
-I wish ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Correction:

Respond to the following situations by expressing regret using the words given:
1-He was running very fast when he had a heart attack.
he hadn’t run very fast.
-If only ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2-We lost the game because our goalkeeper was not in good physical condition.
our goalkeeper had been in good physical condition.
-If only …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3-It was a pity I didn’t have enough money to pay for that computer.
I had had enough money to pay for that computer,
-I wish …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4-She didn’t get a bank loan. So she wasn’t able to set up her own business.
she had got a bank loan.
-If only ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5-I couldn’t help them because I didn’t have more time.
I had had more time.
-I wish ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….........
6-Alice didn’t win the national competition because she didn’t train enough.
Alice had trained enough.
-If only ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
7-He didn’t take part in the school competition because he didn’t know about its date.
he had known about the date of the school competition.
-He wishes …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
8-I hurt my leg in a car crash because I didn’t drive carefully.
I had driven carefully.
-I wish …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………