Wishes, Regrets and 'It's Time'

Wish and if only for the past, the present and the future, and the it's time family, with the tense each one takes.

يتكوّن الدرس من 4 أجزاء: Wish: the Three Situations، If Only، It's Time, It's High Time, It's About Time، Practice and Review.

Wish: the Three Situations

*Wish* expresses a desire for something that is not the case. The tense after it depends on the moment you are talking about, and it is always one step back into the past.

1. The table to memorise

2. A wish about the present

The verb goes into the past simple, although the situation is present.

I **wish** I **were** a rich man. *(I am not rich)*
I **wish** you **stopped** smoking. *(you have not stopped)*
She **wishes** she **knew** the answer. *(she does not know it)*
We **wish** we **lived** nearer the school. *(we live far)*

With the verb *to be*, careful English uses were for every person: *I wish I were…*, *I wish he were…*. The form *I wish I was* is heard in speech but is not what the exam expects.

3. A wish about the past

The verb goes into the past perfect (*had* + past participle). This is the grammar of regret: it is too late.

I **wish** I **had revised** more before the exam. *(I did not)*
He **wishes** he **had not said** that. *(he said it)*
They **wish** they **had listened** to the warning. *(they did not listen)*

4. A wish about the future

The structure is wish + would + stem. It expresses impatience or a complaint about something that continues.

I **wish** we **would live** in a corruption-free society one day.
I **wish** it **would stop** raining.
I **wish** you **would listen** to me when I speak.

One restriction: we do not normally use *would* when the subject of *wish* and the subject of the second verb are the same person. Instead of *I wish I would go*, we say *I wish I could go*.

5. The reasoning behind the tenses

The rule looks strange until you see the logic: every wish moves one tense backwards.

present → past simple;
past → past perfect;
future → *would*, which is the past of *will*.

6. Practice

A. Complete with the right form.

I wish I ______ (speak) three languages.
She wishes she ______ (not sell) her old bicycle last year.
I wish the neighbours ______ (make) less noise.
He wishes he ______ (be) taller.

B. Say what is true.

I wish I had a computer. → ______
I wish I had taken the earlier train. → ______
I wish she would answer my messages. → ______

If Only

1. The same grammar, a stronger feeling

If only follows exactly the same tense rules as *wish*, but the emotion is stronger. Where *I wish* is a quiet regret, *if only* is close to a cry.

You can almost always replace *I wish* by *if only* and keep the sentence correct:

I wish I had revised harder. → **If only** I **had revised** harder!
I wish I were on holiday. → **If only** I **were** on holiday!

2. Punctuation and position

*If only* usually opens the sentence and is often followed by an exclamation mark, because it carries feeling.

> If only I had known!

It may also be completed by a second clause:

> If only I had known, I would have acted differently.

Notice that this second form is simply a type III conditional with *if only* in place of *if*.

3. Choosing between the two

Both are correct in the exam; *if only* is the one to choose when the question asks for "a strong feeling of regret".

4. Other ways of expressing regret

I **regret** not revising more. *(regret + -ing)*
I **regret that** I did not revise more.
I **should have** revised more. *(should have + past participle)*
I **shouldn't have** wasted so much time.
**What a pity** I did not go!
It's **a shame** they did not come.

The structure should have + past participle is worth memorising: it says in four words what a whole type III sentence says.

> I failed because I did not revise. → I should have revised.

5. Practice

A. Rewrite with *if only*.

I wish I had studied medicine.
I wish the government would fight corruption seriously.
I wish I were able to help you.

B. Rewrite with *should have* or *shouldn't have*.

He told her the secret, and he regrets it.
She did not check the expiry date, and the food was spoiled.
They did not book the tickets in advance, and there were none left.

C. Express the regret in two different ways.

> *Situation: you spent all your money and now you cannot travel.*

It's Time, It's High Time, It's About Time

1. What they mean

These three expressions say that something should happen now — and, when they carry *high* or *about*, that it should have happened already.

**It's time** you revised your lessons.
**It's high time** the government took serious measures.
**It's about time** we changed our eating habits.

2. The tense rule

> After *it's time* + subject, the verb goes into the past simple, although we are speaking about the present.

It's time you **went** to bed. *(you are still awake)*
It's high time he **found** a job. *(he still has none)*
It's about time they **stopped** wasting water.

This is the same backward shift as *wish* and *if only*: the past tense marks something that is not real yet.

With *to be*, careful English again prefers were: *It's time you were more serious.*

3. The other structure: it's time + infinitive

When there is no particular subject to name, the expression takes a plain infinitive with *to*:

**It's time to go.**
**It's time to revise** for the exam.
**It's time for us to leave.** *(with "for + person")*

Compare the two:

4. The mistake the exam looks for

5. Practice

A. Put the verb into the correct form.

It's time you ______ (start) revising seriously.
It's high time the authorities ______ (do) something about pollution.
It's about time we ______ (be) honest with each other.
It's time ______ (go) home.

B. Rewrite using *it's high time*.

The government should fight corruption now.
You should stop eating so much junk food.
We should reduce our consumption of plastic.

C. Which structure fits?

It's time ______ (we / leave) — a reproach to the group.
It's time ______ (leave) — a simple statement that the moment has come.

Practice and Review

1. The whole family in one table

Every structure in this lesson shifts the verb one step into the past.

2. Choosing the right structure

3. Mixed exercise

A. Complete with the correct form.

I wish I ______ (know) the answer to this question.
If only she ______ (tell) me the truth yesterday!
It's high time the company ______ (improve) its working conditions.
I wish people ______ (not throw) rubbish in the street.
He wishes he ______ (not buy) that counterfeit phone last month.

B. Rewrite without changing the meaning.

I am sorry I did not revise the passive voice.

→ I wish

You should stop smoking now.

→ It's high time

I did not warn him, and he had an accident.

→ I should

Unfortunately, I do not live near my school.

→ If only

C. Say what is true behind each wish.

I wish I were on holiday. → ______
She wishes she had accepted the job. → ______
They wish the neighbours would be quieter. → ______

4. Answers to check yourself

A. 1. knew — 2. had told — 3. improved — 4. did not throw — 5. had not bought.

B. 1. I wish I had revised the passive voice. — 2. It's high time you stopped smoking. — 3. I should have warned him. — 4. If only I lived near my school!

C. 1. I am not on holiday. — 2. She did not accept the job. — 3. The neighbours are noisy.

الجزء الأول من الدرس مفتوح للجميع، وبقيته مع الاشتراك.

Wishes, Regrets and 'It's Time'

Wish: the Three Situations

Wish: the Three Situations

1. The table to memorise

2. A wish about the present

3. A wish about the past

4. A wish about the future

5. The reasoning behind the tenses

6. Practice

If Only

If Only

1. The same grammar, a stronger feeling

2. Punctuation and position

3. Choosing between the two

4. Other ways of expressing regret

5. Practice

It's Time, It's High Time, It's About Time

It's Time, It's High Time, It's About Time

1. What they mean

2. The tense rule

3. The other structure: it's time + infinitive

4. The mistake the exam looks for

5. Practice

Practice and Review

Practice and Review

1. The whole family in one table

2. Choosing the right structure

3. Mixed exercise

4. Answers to check yourself

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مواضيع بكالوريا اللغة الإنجليزية

دروس أخرى في اللغة الإنجليزية

Wishes, Regrets and 'It's Time'

Wish: the Three Situations

Wish: the Three Situations

1. The table to memorise

2. A wish about the present

3. A wish about the past

4. A wish about the future

5. The reasoning behind the tenses

6. Practice

If Only

If Only

1. The same grammar, a stronger feeling

2. Punctuation and position

3. Choosing between the two

4. Other ways of expressing regret

5. Practice

It's Time, It's High Time, It's About Time

It's Time, It's High Time, It's About Time

1. What they mean

2. The tense rule

3. The other structure: *it's time* + infinitive

4. The mistake the exam looks for

5. Practice

Practice and Review

Practice and Review

1. The whole family in one table

2. Choosing the right structure

3. Mixed exercise

4. Answers to check yourself

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مواضيع بكالوريا اللغة الإنجليزية

دروس أخرى في اللغة الإنجليزية

3. The other structure: it's time + infinitive