Understanding Grammar: Wishes & Regrets

Introduction:

Rich: This traffic is awful. I really wish we lived somewhere without so many traffic jams. If only we’d taken the train, we’d have been there by now.

Jack: Yeah, it’s easy to say that now, though. If we’d taken the train, it could have been cancelled or delayed. It’s going to be fine.

Rich: We’re going to miss the start at this rate!

Jack: No we’re not. I’m sure we’ll be alright. We’ve got plenty of time. Calm down and keep your eye on the road - look we’re moving now.

Rich: I am calm. I don’t know what you mean.

Jack: And I wish you’d stop doing that.

Rich: Doing what?

Jack: That! Cracking your knuckles! It’s really irritating.

Rich: Alright keep your hair on.

Welcome - Wishes & Regrets

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich

Jack: and I’m Jack

Rich: and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Jack: What’s happening this week, Rich?

Rich: In this week’s podcast, we’re looking at grammar and specifically we’re going to talk about the phrases if only and I wish and show you three ways they can be used.

Jack: You might have noticed that we used these phrase in the opening section. Rich said: I wish we lived somewhere without traffic jams and if only we’d taken the train

Rich: And Jack said: I wish you’d stop doing that.

Jack: What are these three different meanings? Any ideas? Don’t worry if you’re not sure because we’re going to look at all three of them right now.

Rich: We want you to listen to three conversations. At the end of the conversations, we’ll talk about how I wish and if only are used differently in each one.

Jack: But the first time you listen we want you to answer a question about each conversation. The question for the first roleplay is: What do Rich and I wish was different?

Roleplay 1 

Jack: Roleplay one

Rich: This is crazy. You said ‘let’s get the train, it will be faster and more comfortable’ what was that phrase you said ‘let the train take the strain’. Well, the train’s packed and we haven’t got a seat. We’re going to be standing up for the next three hours.

Jack: I’m sure some people will get off at the next station.

Rich: In Spain, they only sell tickets for the number of seats they have on the train. If only this was a Spanish train.

Jack: I wish it was too! I wouldn’t mind a bit of sunshine.

Rich: Yeah, I wish it wasn’t raining so much. Hey, look there ... the other carriage. There’s nobody in it. Let’s go and sit in there.

Jack: We can’t sit in there. That’s first class!

Rich: Aaagh! If only we had first class tickets! Look. They get free drinks, too!

Jack: Yeah, but do you know how much they cost? I wish I had a bit more money. 

Roleplay 2 

Rich: Roleplay two.

Jack: The question for the second roleplay is: What do I think Arsene Wenger wishes had been different?

Rich: I suppose you’ve seen the news about Arsene Wenger.

Jack: It’s a bit sad really. He’s been at Arsenal for 22 years. I thought he was going to stay forever. I was a teenager when he came to Arsenal.

Rich: Wow! That was a long time ago then. Do you think he’ll have any regrets?

Jack: I don’t know. He’s probably Arsenal’s greatest ever manager. He’s won the Premier League three times and the FA Cup a record seven times and the double twice. 

Rich: Yeah, he’s done a lot for the club but there must be some regrets. What about Europe? I imagine he regrets not winning a European trophy.

Jack: Well, Arsenal could win one this season! But, I know what you mean. I imagine he wishes that Arsenal had done better in the Champions League. The final against Barcelona in 2008 was definitely one of those if only moments.

Rich: What do you mean?

Jack: I imagine he thinks ... if only we had won that match we would have gone on to win more trophies. If only the goalkeeper hadn’t been sent off, if only we had held on to the lead, if only Barcelona hadn’t equalised .. that kind of thing.

Rich: Regrets? Maybe he has a few … after all.

Roleplay 3 

Rich: Roleplay three.

Jack: The question for the first roleplay is: What does Rich’s partner wish was different?

Jack: Are you all right? You look a bit ticked off.

Rich: We’ve just had another big row … she’s driving me up the wall.

Jack: Ahh! I understand.

Rich: A big long list of complaints. I wish you wouldn’t watch so much football, if only you’d come home a bit earlier, I wish you wouldn’t snore so loudly, I wish you’d listen to me, If only you’d put down your phone for one minute blah blah blah!

Jack: The counselling is going well then I take it.

Rich: Quiet!

Language Focus

Rich: In the first conversation, we used I wish and if only to talk about present situations that we would like to change.

Jack: We use if only or I wish + past verb forms to do this. In the conversation, Rich said: If only this was a Spanish train.

Rich: I wasn’t on a Spanish train though I was on an English one, but I wanted or wished to be on a Spanish train.

Jack: He also said: If only we had first class tickets.

Rich: But we didn’t have standard class tickets, unfortunately.

Jack: We’re talking about the present but we need to use the verb in the past here; we can’t say if only we have first class tickets, for example, it’s if only we had first class tickets.

Rich: We use the past tense because we’re talking about a hypothetical situation. That is, a situation we are imagining. It’s not something that is usually possible to change.

Jack: One other thing that you might think is strange is: if only she were or I wish I weren’t. 

Rich: And people often say if I were you rather than if I was you. 

Jack: Because these are imaginary situations the language we use to describe them is sometimes called the subjunctive mood. In other languages, this is important for grammar, but in English, the mood of a statement rarely changes the grammar.

Rich: And native speakers often don’t use the subjunctive. You may hear someone say I wish she was here just as often as I wish she were here.

Jack: I think the most important phrase for learners to remember here is if I were you. If I were you, I’d study more. If I were you, I’d talk to him. If I were you, I’d go and see a doctor.

Rich: Yes, this is definitely the most common use of the subjunctive in English.

Jack: And we can use were with all subjects so you could say I wish she were here or I wish I weren’t working such long hours.

...

Rich: In the second conversation, we used wish and if only to talk about regrets; things that we would like to change but can’t because it’s already happened.

Jack: We use if only or wish + past perfect to talk about a wish to change something that has already happened. 

Rich: In the conversation, Jack was talking about the Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, and he used quite a few examples of if only, such as: if only the goalkeeper hadn’t been sent off or if only we had held on to the lead. 

Jack: But the goalkeeper was sent off and we didn’t hold on to the lead. We use if only to talk about something that we wish had happened differently.

Rich: When we talk about regrets we can also use the word ‘regret’ plus the verb in the -ing form or the gerund. An example from the earlier conversation was: he regrets not winning a European trophy. 

...

Rich: In the third conversation, we used I wish and if only to complain about things.

Jack: In the conversation, you heard Rich say: I wish you wouldn’t watch so much football and if only you’d come home a bit earlier.

Rich: When we use if only and I wish to complain about something we use this structure: if only or wish + would + infinitive without to

Jack: This structure is not only used to complain about things and is also used to talk about a wish for the future or to show a contrast between how things are and how we would like them to be.

Rich: If only my boss would give me some time off, I could then travel around the world is one example and if only they would listen to each other then they would stop having arguments is another example.

Jack: These could be seen as complaints or wishes. When does a complaint become a wish I wonder.

Rich: We’ve got some practice activities for you on the page below if you’d like to learn more about if only and I wish.

TASK

Jack: This week’s task is to write five sentences using if only and/or I wish.

Rich: We will read five different situations and we want you to change or transform the situation into a sentence that begins with I wish or if only. Write your answers in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

1. My neighbour makes a lot of noise and it’s difficult to sleep sometimes.
2. I can’t believe he missed that penalty! We would have won if he had scored.
3. It was a big mistake not studying languages at school.
4. He loves the sound of his own voice. Why can’t he be quiet for a change?
5. This match is boring. It’s always so defensive. 

Football Phrase

Rich: Every week we give you a football phrase for you to guess. Have you got this week’s phrase, Jack?

Jack: Yes, I have, but first, we need to look at last week’s football phrase. The phrase was to drop a clanger. The phrase means to make a mistake. It can be used in and out of football but is especially relevant for goalkeepers because the first word in the phrase is what goalkeepers do with the ball if they make a mistake. For example, Joe Hart played really well against Chelsea but then he dropped a clanger in the next game against Stoke.

Rich: It was a difficult one but some of you got it right. Well done to Ahmed Dam from Sudan, Liubomyr from Ukraine, and Lakerwang from China. And a good attempt from Milos from Serbia and Elghoul from Algeria who said the phrase was to make a blunder. That has the same meaning and is a word I like - blunder. What’s this week’s phrase?

Jack: This week’s football phrase is *** *** ** *** ******. This phrase is used to talk about the referee at the beginning of the match by commentators on TV. The commentators usually say something like *** *** ** *** ****** today is Michael Oliver. It’s just an informal way of saying today’s referee is … The key to the phrase is where the referee usually stands at the beginning of the match. He’s not at the end of a pitch he’s usually in the ****** of the pitch.

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below.

Jack: If you have enjoyed this podcast or found it useful, leave us a rating or review and that will help other people find us. 

Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football!