english: wishes & regrets

Wishes & Regrets

Wishes/Hopes & Regrets

What if you found a magiclamp and a genie came out to grant you 3 wishes.

Rule: You can’t wish forfor more wishes.

What would you wish for?

Would you rather have a lifetime full ofwealth & money… or a lifetime of greathealth?

What’s something in your life that you hope neverchanges

What wishes do you have for your country?

Did you do anything recently that you wish you hadn’t done?

(I wish I hadn’t stayed awake so late last night… now,I’m sleepy!)

1. We use wish + past simple to express that we want a situation in the present (or future) to be different.

– I wish I spoke English better. (I don't speak English well.)– I wish I had a more money. (I don't have much money.)– I wish I was on a beach. (I'm stuck at school.)

– Future: I wish it was Friday. – (It's only Tuesday.)

Present wish

2. We use wish + past continuous to express that we want to be doing a different action in the present (or future).

– I wish I was lying on a beach now. (I'm sitting on my sofa.)– I wish it wasn't raining. (It is raining.)– I wish you weren't leaving tomorrow. (You are leaving

tomorrow.)

Present Continuous wish

3. We use wish + past perfect to express a regret, or that we want a situation in the past to be different.– I wish I hadn't eaten so much. (I ate a lot.)– I wish they had stayed longer. (They didn't stay long

enough.)– I wish I had studied harder at school. (I was lazy at school.)

Past wish

4. Wish + would• We use wish + would + bare infinitive to express

impatience, annoyance or dissatisfaction with a present action.

– I wish you would stop smoking. (You are smoking at the moment and it is annoying me.)

– I wish my neighbors would move. (because they’re annoying.)– I wish that baby would be quiet. (I am annoyed because the

baby keeps crying.)

Future wish

• To simply express that you want something to happen in the future (not talking about wanting an action or situation to be different, and not talking about impatience or annoyance) we use hope, not wish.

– I hope it's sunny tomorrow.NOT I wish it was sunny tomorrow.

– I hope she passes her exam next week.NOT I wish she were passing her exam next week.

– I hope the plane doesn't crash tomorrow.NOT I wish the plane wouldn't crash tomorrow.

Wish and Hope

Wish = If only

• I wish I hadn’t said that.• If only I hadn’t said that.

Here are some “wishes” people make