WISHES AND REGRETS:

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WISHES AND REGRETS
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WISHES AND REGRETS

• With
• Wish / if only
• Its time / its high time/ its about time
• Would prefer it if/would have preferred it if/
  would prefer
• Would sooner/ would rather

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Wish/ if only

• We use them with past simple and past continuous
  to express present wishes
• I wish Tom was/were here now.
• If only I knew someone who could help me.
• All the staff wish you werent leaving so soon.
• If only it wasnt/werent raining!

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Wish/ if only

• We use them with past perfect to express past
  wishes and very often also to express regrets
• If only I had known you were coming.
• I wish I had known you were coming.

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Wish/ if only

• We use them with would to express future
  wishes
• I wish more young people would vote, but they
  wont.
• If only it would stop raining, we could go out.

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Its time/ its high time/ its about time

• We use them with past simple and past continuous
  to express what the speaker would like to
  happen now/ in the future
• Its time you had a haircut.
• Its high time you got a job.
• Its about time we were leaving.

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Its time/ its high time/ its about time

• We use them with to-infinitive when there is no
  subject after time to express what the speaker
  would like to happen now/ in the future
• Its time to buy a new car.

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Would prefer it if

• We use it with past simple and past continuous
  to express preference now/ in the future
• I would prefer it if people didnt use their
  mobile phone on public transport.
• Id prefer it if we were meeting/met at the
  cinema.

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Would have preferred it if

• We use it with past perfect to express
  preference in the past and very often also
  to express regrets
• We would have preferred it if you had warned us
  at the time.

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Would prefer

• We use it with to-infinitive when there is no
  subject after prefer to express preference now/
  in the future
• Id prefer to get involved.

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Would rather/would sooner

• We use them with past simple and past continuous
  to express preference now/ in the future
• I would rather you went home now.
• Id sooner you came next week.
• Id rather my family were spending/spent more
  time together.

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Would rather/would sooner

• We use them with past perfect
  to express preference in the past and
  very often also to express regrets
• Id rather you had told me before.

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Would rather/would sooner

• We use them with zero infinitive when there is no
  subject after rather/sooner to express
  preference now/ in the future
• Id rather have something to eat.

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PAST TENSES

• Created by
• Carmen Luisa Pérez Amaro