F.C.E. USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION

EXPRESSING WISH AND REGRET: IF ONLY AND 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

WISHING AND REGRETTING. 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?

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

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.

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.

EXPRESSING WISHES AND REGRETS. Structure IF ONLY/ I WISH

SUMMARY:WISHING AND REGRETTING.

Structure IF ONLY/ I WISH

USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4. REGRETTING.

EXPRESSING REGRET

WE USE THE FOLLOWING STRUCTURES TO EXPRESS REGRET

-SUBJECT+REGRET+ (NOT) –ING

I shouldn’t have been rude to her

REGRET

I..............................................to her.

-SUBJECT+INFINITIVE without TO

We are sorry to say that he train has been cancelled.

REGRET

We…………………………………………………..............…the train has been cancelled.

REGRET BEING RUDE

REGRET TO SAY THAT

USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.IF ONLY/ I WISH

USE THE PROMPTS FOR WISHING AND REGRETING

1. IF ONLY I ……………………………………………..THE ANSWER NOW

FIND

2. IF ONLY I ……………………………………………….THE BOSS YESTERDAY

TALK

3. I WISH IT………………………………………………..SO LATE. I DON´T WANT TO LEAVE.

BE

4. I WISH I……………………………………………………MY HOMEWORK YESTERDAY. TODAY I CAN’T.

DO

FOUND

HAD TALKED

WASN’T

HAD DONE

USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.WISHING AND REGRETTING

1. I’d love to know how John is getting on.KNEW

I……………………………………………………….how John is getting on.

2. I’m sad because I forgot to invite Cathy to the party. ONLY

If …………………………………………………….Cathy to the party.

3. It’s a pity the car is so expensive. WISH

I…………………………………………………………………..so expensive.

4. I couldn’t post the letter yesterday and now it is too late.

WISH

I……………………………………………………the letter yesterday.

WISH I KNEW

ONLY I HAD INVITED

WISH THE CAR WAS/WERE NOT

WISH I HAD POSTED

Cambridge FCE exam, June 20012

38. I regret not learning to drive when I was eighteen.WISHI……………………………………to drive when I was eighteen. wish I had learnt 39. John is the only person who can come to the party tomorrow. ABLEEveryone………………………………………to come to the party

tomorrow. Except John is/will be able40. 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

USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.

I HAD LEARNT

INSTEAD OF GOING TO

1. You don’t listen and that’s why you make so many mistakes

COMMIT

IF only ………………………….…………………………………………….so many mistakes

2. I should not have spent all my money in those shoes.

WISH

I…………………………………………………………………all that money in those shoes.

3. I’m not happy that they phoned me so late at night.

RATHER

I………………………………………………………………………………………………..called me so late at night.

YOU DIDN’T COMMIT

WISH I HADN’T SPENT

WOULD/’D RATHER THEY HADN’T

USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.REVISION

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

USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4.REVISION – FRI 11

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.

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.

USE OF ENGLISH, PART 4SENTENCE TRANSFORMATION

MODALS

PREFER AND WOULD RATHER1. I don’t want you to keep criticizing meRATHER

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 nowRATHER

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.

PREFER AND WOULD RATHER

5. It would be better for me if you gave me the money nowPREFER

I……………………………………………………………me the money now.

6. I wish I’d stayed at homeRATHER

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 thatPREFER

I…………………………………………………………….something as dangerous as that.

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…..