"There are no regrets in life, just lessons"
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Talking about regrets
Level: B1- B2
Objective: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to express their regrets, using the grammar structures I wish/ if only with reference to the present and past events.
Lead in: Listen to the song and guess what grammar topic will we discuss today.
Level: B1- B2
Objective: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to express their regrets, using the grammar structures I wish/ if only with reference to the present and past events.
Lead in: Listen to the song and guess what grammar topic will we discuss today.
Elicitation: Look at the pictures and guess what are the people's thoughts.
Part 1.
Presentation:
We normally use the sturctures I wish/ If only to express a desire for a situation that does not exist right now in the present. A wish is a desire to change a real situation into an unreal one. This unreal situation is expressed in the simple past. In a wish sentence, the simple past does not indicate past time; it only indicates that the situation is unreal.
Presentation:
We normally use the sturctures I wish/ If only to express a desire for a situation that does not exist right now in the present. A wish is a desire to change a real situation into an unreal one. This unreal situation is expressed in the simple past. In a wish sentence, the simple past does not indicate past time; it only indicates that the situation is unreal.
I wish/if only I could travel around the world, but I can't aford it.
I wish/ if only I had the time to do it, but I don't.
Were is used for both singular and plural subjects in a formal context I wish/if only I were taller, but I'm not. I'm short.
I wish/ if only I had the time to do it, but I don't.
Were is used for both singular and plural subjects in a formal context I wish/if only I were taller, but I'm not. I'm short.
Practice:
1. Make up sentences expressing wishes and regrets based on the pictures below.
2. Meditaion activity.
You're going to listen to some relaxing music. Please close your eyes and think of something positive. I'm going to ask you some questions about yourselves. You need to imagine how you would answer the questions using the structures I wish/ if only.
You're going to listen to some relaxing music. Please close your eyes and think of something positive. I'm going to ask you some questions about yourselves. You need to imagine how you would answer the questions using the structures I wish/ if only.
Questions:
- If you could change something in your body, what would it be?
- If you could change something about your personality, what would you change?
- If you could change anything about your job, what would it be?
- If you could change something about you partner, what would it be?
- If you could change something about your life, what would it be?
- If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
Pair work.
Discuss in pairs the answers to the above questions. You may avoid questions that seem too personal to you. Pay attention to the correct use of Past tense, while expressing wishes.
Discuss in pairs the answers to the above questions. You may avoid questions that seem too personal to you. Pay attention to the correct use of Past tense, while expressing wishes.
Part 2.
Look at the picture below.
Is she happy or unhappy?
Why do you think she is annoyed?
Can you suggest what is the woman's wish?
Look at the picture below.
Is she happy or unhappy?
Why do you think she is annoyed?
Can you suggest what is the woman's wish?
Explanation:
The structure wish+ (that)/if only +would is used to talk about what other people do that annoys or irritates us and that we wish was different.
The structure wish+ (that)/if only +would is used to talk about what other people do that annoys or irritates us and that we wish was different.
Watch the video below and make sentences, expressing people's regrets. Make sure you use the correct grammar structure.
Pair work.
Discuss with a partner the following questions, using the structures I wish/ if only .... would ....
Discuss with a partner the following questions, using the structures I wish/ if only .... would ....
- What annoys you about your current occupation?
- What annoying hapbbit your boss has?
- What annoys you about your life partner?
- What annoys you about the country you live in?
Part 3.
Wish/ if only (that) +Past Perfect to express regrets about past events
Wish/ if only (that) +Past Perfect to express regrets about past events
Click here to edit.
We use ‘wish’ + past perfect to talk about regrets from the past. These are things that have already happened but we wish they had happened in a different way.
Look at the pictures and suggests what are these people's regrets.
Please think back to the time when you were teenagers. Are there any things you regret?
Make sentences, expressing your regrets about some things you would have done differently now.
Follow the pattern: I wish/ if only I hadn't ..... (ex.: I wish I hadn't been so rude to my granny.)
Make sentences, expressing your regrets about some things you would have done differently now.
Follow the pattern: I wish/ if only I hadn't ..... (ex.: I wish I hadn't been so rude to my granny.)
Watch the video Mistakes of My Youth and verbalize the regrets of the main characters.
Additional activities:
Pair work. Make up a dialogue, complaining about an unthought action you did in your past, which affected your present life.
Writing. Write an essay entitled "I wish I were almighty".
Discussion. Initiate a discussion about a national tradition you would like to change.
Text based activities involving the structures I wish/ if only.
Pair work. Make up a dialogue, complaining about an unthought action you did in your past, which affected your present life.
Writing. Write an essay entitled "I wish I were almighty".
Discussion. Initiate a discussion about a national tradition you would like to change.
Text based activities involving the structures I wish/ if only.
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Additional grammar practice www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-if-only-I-wish.php