WISHES AND REGRETS

 WISH (“Ojalá”) and IF ONLY (“Si al menos…”) more emphatic than

wish

1. Wishes about present/ future – We want a situation to be

different.
WISH / IF ONLY + PAST SIMPLE
EX: I wish I had more money (= I don’t have enough money)
EX: If only I knew the correct time (= I don’t know what time
it is)

2. Wishes about present continuous/future – We want an

action we’re doing or someones else is doing in the present/
future to be different.

WISH / IF ONLY+ PAST SIMPLE

EX: I wish I was flying to Scotland right now (= I’m still at
home)
EX: If only you were coming tomorrow (=you aren`t coming
tomorrow)
3. Expressions with wish:
EX: I wish you a Merry Christmas
EX: We all wish you a speedy recovery

4. Regrets about something in the past-

WISH / IF ONLY + PAST PERFECT

EX: I wish I had studied more at university (=I didn’t study
enough at university)
EX: She wishes she had visited Big Ben
EX: If only I had known your grandmother
5. EXPRESSING ANNOYANCE/IMPATIENCE WITH SOMETHING
TAKING PLACE IN THE PRESENT.
WISH/IF ONLY + WOULD + BARE INFINITIVE +
OBJECT/PRONOUN
EX: I wish/ if only you would be quiet (=I’m annoyed because
you’re talking)
EX: My mum wishes my brother would not talk with his
mouth full (=my mu mis annouyed that my brother is talking
while he’s eating)
EX: If only he would stop talking (=I’m annoyed because he
won’t stop talking)

6. WOULD LIKE- (“Me gustaría”) (=like “want”, but more kind)

a) WOULD LIKE + noun
EX: I would like some chocolate
b) WOULD LIKE TO+ infinitive
EX: I would like to finish soon

c) WOULD LIKE + NOUN OBJECT/PRONOUN +

TO + INFINITIVE
EX: I would like Peter to visit us

7. WOULD PREFER- (“Preferiría”)

a) WOULD PREFER+ NOUN
Ex: I’d prefer a magazine
a) WOULD PREFER + TO + INFINITIVE
EX: She would prefer to stay

b) WOULD PREFER TO + IFINITIVE + RATHER

THAN + BARE INFINITIVE

Ex: I’d prefer to stay rather than go

8. WOULD RATHER - (“Preferiría”)
a) WOULD RATHER with no change in subject
EX: I’d rather sit and rest
b) WOULD RATHER with change in subject
EX: I’d rather you told me the plan

9. PREFER (“Prefiero”)
a) PREFER + NOUN/ -“ing”+TO + NOUN/“ing”
EX: I prefer coffee to tea
EX: She prefers Reading a book to watching TV
b) PREFER + TO + INFINITIVE
EX: I prefer to stay at home tonight

c) PREFER + TO + INFINITIVE+ …+ RATHER THAN

+ BARE INFINITIVE
EX: I prefer to stay rather than leave

10. HOPE (“Espero”)

a) Hope- present tense (with future meaning)
EX: I hope she likes the flowers
EX: I hope she doesn´t like that so expensive
car
b) HOPE + INFITIVE+ TO- More confident
hopes/plans
EX: I hope to spend a year in North America
after I leave school