WISHES AND REGRETS

Wanting to change the present

PRESENT SITUATIONSDays are so short in winter I wish days were longerShe’s sorry she never wins a match She wishes she won a single matchHe works very little I wish he worked harder

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Regretting the past

PAST SITUATIONVery few people came to my party I wish more people had comeJohn failed his driving test Tom wishes he had passed his driving testI got ill after eating lobster I wish I hadn’t eaten lobster

Complaining

ANNOYING BEHAVIOURYou’re always asking for money! I wish you wouldn’t ask for money all the timeStop playing the music so loud! I wish you wouldn’t play the music so loudThe students never pay attention to the teacher He wishes they would listen to him

-TRANSFORM THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES:

1.- I lent John my tennis racket and he broke it I wish ...

2.- He is always breaking my things I wish ...

3.- Tom can’t speak French He wishes ...

4.- I don’t like the town where I live I wish ...

5.- Her husband never eats what she cooks She wishes ...

6.- I got sunburnt because I didn’t use sun cream I wish ...

7.- Mary’s wedding was a disaster because it rained torrentially She wished ...

8.- The plane was delayed because there was a strike at the airport I wished ...

9.- All my friends are on the beach I wish ...

10.- He is telling stupid jokes all the time Everybody wishes ...

11.- Susan has very little free time She wishes ...

12.- Everybody saw him fall down in the middle of the street He wished ...

13.- She never locked her car and it was robbed She wishes ...

14.- TV programmes are always the same People wish ...

15.- I forgot to water the plants and they died I wish ...

WRITE WISHES FOR THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES USING YOUR OWN WORDS:

1. Why do you always wear such horrible clothes?

2. Nobody told me you were ill.

3. Tom didn’t buy her a present. He was embarrassed.

4. Don’t touch my CDs, will you?

5. She’s sad because she lives alone.

6. My stomach hurts. I ate too much.

7. What a pity I can’t speak English!

8. I read less than I’d like.

9. He’d like to give up smoking but he can.

10. I get up very early. I hate it.

11. Why do you spend money on stupid things?

12. I’d like to have a better car.

13. I don’t like living in a big city.

14. It’s a pity I didn’t take a photo.

15. Don’t eat with your fingers!

16. We don’t see each other very often.

17. I should have bought size XL.

18. She’s sorry her children don’t study very hard.

WISH IF ONLY IT’S TIME I’D RATHER

FACT WISH I’m stupid I wish/If only I weren’t stupid I don’t have any friends I wish/If only I had friends

He can’t swim He wishes he could swim

He never asks for my opinion I wish he would ask me sometimes They’re always making fun of me I wish they would stop doing that

I’ve lost my pen I wish I had been more careful They didn’t help me I wish they had helped me

He’s thirty and hasn’t got a job It’s time he found one I don’t want you to go I’d rather you didn’t go

TRANSFORM THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES: 1.- My sister’s son isn’t very clever. She wishes … 2.- I overslept this morning and was late for work. If only … 3.- She’s desperately shy. She wishes … 4.- I don’t want you to drive so far in one day. I’d rather … 5.- I’ve been given the sack. If only … 6.- I want you to settle down and start studying for the exam It’s high time ….. 7.- You’re always complaining about everything. I wish … 8.- He won’t apologise for breaking it. I wish … 9.- She drank too much at the party. She wishes …10.- I want to give up smoking. If only …11.- Her father doesn’t want her to marry Peter. Her father would rather …12.- I had to lie to her. If only … 13.- Everyday except us has got a computer these days. It’s time …14.- He couldn’t complete it on time. He wished …15.- She had her hair cut really short. Now she wishes …16.- My friends never pay attention when I speak. I wish …17.- I did what they told me to. I wish …18.- I wasn’t encouraged to be a writer. I wish …

WRITE WISHES FOR THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES USING YOUR OWN WORDS:

1.- He doesn’t earn much money.

2.- They missed most of the film.

3.- Her husband is a successful businessman, but he does nothing but work

4.- He lost his job.

5.- The children were playing with matches and they set fire to the curtains.

6.- I’d like you to keep our holiday plans secret

7.- His girlfriend left him.

8.- I was very thoughtless.

9.- My alarm clock is always slow and I am often late for work.

10.- I never remember birthdays.

11.- You can’t sleep at night because your neighbours are very noisy

12.- He couldn’t get his university degree because of his laziness

13.- Susan has divorced after a half-year marriage.

14.- The boy hasn’t got any pets.

15.- I got back home rather late and my parents were worried.

16.- She’s always having argument with everyone.

17.- You’ve got an appointment in a quarter of an hour and you haven’t got dressed yet.

18.-You’re lost in the middle of the country.

19.- Everyone makes fun of him because he’s not very tall.

20.- Tom would like to be a doctor but he can’t stand the sight of blood.

21.- She lost a mot of weight with that diet.

22.- You’re old enough to learn your own living.

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WISHES AND REGRETS

I live in a squalid flat. I’m out of work and on the dole. I didn’t have a good

education;

in fact, I left school at fifteen, and without any qualifications. I wrote about fifty job

applications and didn’t get a single job. I went for a lot of interviews, but I don’t

really know how to behave at interviews. I can’t answer their questions very well.

I sit about at home every day, watching TV, and smoking. I get through about

forty cigarettes a day, so I don’t have enough money to go to football matches

any more. A friend of mine from school has got a job at a travel agent’s. He

travels all over the world for his holidays, and he’s always telling me about

wonderful trips to Spain and Greece. I’ve never been abroad! I’m so depressed. I

think the worst thing is having nothing to look forward to. I’m nineteen, and I have

a lifetime of nothing in front of me.

1. He wishes he lived somewhere nicer.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

PAGE 1

1. I wish I hadn’t lent it to him2. I wish he wouldn’t break my things3. He wishes he could speak French4. I wish I didn’t live in this town5. She wishes he would eat what she cools6. I wish I had used sun cream7. She wished it hadn’t rained8. I wished there hadn’t been a strike9. I wish I were on the beach with my friends10. Everybody wishes he wouldn’t tell stupid jokes11. She wishes she had more free time12. He wished nobody had seen him fall down13. She wishes she had locked her car14. People wish TV programmes wouldn’t be always the same15. I wish I had watered the plants

PAGE 2

1. I wish you would wear something nice2. I wish somebody had told me you were ill3. Tom wished he had bought her a present4. I wish you would touch my CDs5. She wishes she had someone to live with6. I wish I had eaten less7. I wish I could speak English8. I wish I read more9. He wishes he could give up smoking10. I wish I didn’t have to get up early11. I wish you wouldn’t spend money on stupid things12. I wish I could afford a better car13. I wish I lived in a small town14. I wish I had taken a photo15. I wish you wouldn’t eat with your fingers16. I wish we could see each other more often17. I wish I had bought size XL18. She wished her children studied harder

PAGE 3

1. She wishes her son were cleverer2. If only I hadn’t overslept3. She wishes she weren’t so shy4. I’d rather you didn’t drive so far in on day5. If only I hadn’t been given the sack6. It’s high time you settled down and started studying for the exam7. I wish you wouldn’t complain about everything8. I wish he would apologize for breaking it9. She wishes she hadn’t drunk so much at the party10. If only I could give up smoking11. He father would rather she didn’t marry Peter.12. If only I hadn’t lied to her13. It’s time we got a computer14. He wished he had been able to complete it on time15. Now she wishes she hadn’t cut it so short16. I wish they would pay attention when I speak17. I wish I hadn’t done what they told me18. I wish I had been encouraged to be a writer

PAGE 4

1. He wishes he had a better-paid job2. They wish they had arrived earlier

3. She wishes he had more time for her4. He wishes he hadn’t argued with his boss5. Their mother wishes she hadn’t left the matches there6. I’d rather you didn’t say anything about our holiday plans7. He wishes he had spent more time with her8. I wish I had been more thoughtful9. I wish I had a better alarm clock10. I wish I had a better memory11. I wish they lived somewhere else12. He wishes he had studied harder13. She wishes she hadn’t married14. He wishes he had a dog15. I wish I had phoned them16. I wish she wouldn’t be so bad-tempered17. It’s time you were ready18. You wish you had brought a map with you19. He wishes people wouldn’t be so rude20. He wishes he weren’t so squeamish21. She wishes she hadn’t started dieting22. It’s time you got a job

PAGE 5

2. He wishes he had a job3. He wishes he had studied harder at school4. He wishes he had qualifications5. He wishes he knew how to behave at interviews6. He wishes he could answer questions properly7. He wishes he didn’t smoke so much8. He wishes he had more money9. He wishes he could go to football matches10. He wishes he could travel as his friend11. He wishes he weren’t so depressed12. He wishes he had something to look forward to