Wish - past

expressing regrets about the past
You can use wish + past perfect to express a regret about something that happened in the past. The past perfect is used to show that what you wish is unreal: Reality: I lost the book. (Past simple tense) Wish: I wish I hadn't lost the book. Reality: I didn't go to the party. (Past simple tense) Wis...Read more

Worksheets

Wishes, regrets, second and third conditionals practice

(1) Students complete worksheet from prompts. (2) Interview their partners

Quizzes

Wishes - regrets - conditionals analysis quiz
Multiple-choice quiz with concept questions for second / third conditionals / wish

Wishes - regrets - conditionals - completion quiz
Multiple - choice sentence completion quiz. Second / third conditionals / wishes / regrets

Book references

Inside Out Student's Book Intermediate

Unit 16 Review 2 Page 134
Matching quotes to famous people and reporting them.

Unit 15 Age Pages 127 - 128

New Cutting Edge Upper Intermediate students' book

Module 11 Interfering with nature Pages 120 - 121

Grammar Activities Two - Upper Intermediate

74 - 76 Wish present and past Pages 74 - 75
(74) wish + could / past simple / past perfect (75) wish + past simple / past perfect / would

Developing Grammar in Context

25 Third conditional, wishes and regrets Pages 145 - 150

Reward Intermediate Resource Pack

39 If only I'd taken more chances Page 39
Wish + past perfect, if only + past perfect, 3rd conditional. Situation : Your regrets at 87.

Reward Upper-intermediate Resource Pack

15a Life would have been different Page 15
Ss read statements expressing regrets about the past, find ones they agree with and then mill to find other Ss with the same regrets. Then explain regrets using third conditional.

Wish - past

See also:

Wishes, regrets, second and third conditionals practice