Contrast wishes with facts

e. g.: I wish I weren’t so old but Iam.

1. I wish I earned more _______________.

2. If only I had followed your advice ________________.

3. If only I had a better typewriter ________________.

4. I wish I were a film star ____________.

5. I wish he had left earlier _______________.

6. I wish it would rain tomorrow ________________.

7. I wish my husband didn’t criticize me all the time _______________.

8. I wish I had long hair ___________________.

9. If only she loved me ___________________.

10. My parents wish I wouldn’t marry Alex _______________.

11. If only she had had more time _______________.

12. I wish your aunt Daphne didn’t come to visit us so often __________________.

13. She wished she remembered their anniversary ____________________.

14. If only the police had arrived in time ____________________.

15. I wish I had been wearing my black suit at the party _________________.

13. Express your wishes for the future. Use sentences with would – clauses for not very hopeful wishes.

e. g.: You are going on a trip to France and you really want your classmates to join you: I wish you would go on a trip to France with me.

1. You don’t like going to football matches alone. You want your best friend to go with you, though he may refuse as he is sitting up for his exams: ___________

2. You are expecting a letter and you want the postman to come earlier today though you’re not sure he will: _______________

3. You think your father is looking too hard. You want to tell him to go to hospital although he probably won’t listen to you: ___________________

4. You have written a letter of complaint to the garage. You want them to give an answer as quickly as possible, but they probably won’t: ______________

5. You are not very hopeful, but you want your older brother to join the party: _______________

6. You would like to dine out today and you want your friend to come with you: ______________

7. You are going to have a great sea voyage and you really want your classmates to accompany you: ____________________

14. Imagine you’re very unhappy about your roommate. Complain about your roommate’s bad habits using wish – sentences with would or wouldn’t.

e. g.: He/she keeps coming in so late. – I wish shewouldn’t come in so late. or I wish she would come in earlier. or I wish she would stop coming in so late.

1. He/she is impolite to your friends. 2. He/she makes a lot of noise in the morning. 3. He/she uses up all the hot water in the shower. 4. He/she stays in the bathroom too long. 5. He/she doesn’t write down phone messages. 6. He/she smokes cigarettes. 7. He/she leaves dirty clothes in the living room. 8. He/she doesn’t clean up the kitchen. 9. He/she doesn’t buy his/her own food. 10. He/she talks on the phone for hours. 11. He/she doesn’t turn the lights off. 12. He/she argues all the time. 13. He/she asks silly questions.

15. Say you wouldn’t like to do what you are suggested as in the model.

e. g.: Let’s go to the theatre tonight. – I’d rather we didn’t. or I’d rather we watched a video film at home. or I’d rather we visited our parents.

1. Let’s play cards. 2. Let’s dine out tonight. 3. Why not have a break now? 4. Let’s go for a walk. 5. Why don’t we stay in tonight? 6. I’ve got a rise today. We can buy new furniture. 7. What would you say to moving to a new house? 8. Shall we go to Mexico for our holiday? 9. Let’s invite our neighbour to the party. 10. Let’s buy him a cat.

16. Sometimes Dick thinks his wife is not an ideal wife. He has some wishes, preferences and regrets about her. What does he say?

e. g.: She speaks in a loud voice. – I’d rather she didn’t.

1. My wife was late for work yesterday. – I wish ___________________.

2. Emma told a lie to her boss. – If only __________________.

3. My wife was at the hairdresser’s. – I wish ____________________.

4. She has her hair cut really short. – I’d rather ____________________.

5. In the evening she was at the party and ate too much. – I wish __________.

6. She is rather careless. – I wish ___________________.

7. I want her to settle down. – It’s time _____________________.

8. I want her to get a decent work. – It’s about time ______________________.

9. She smokes much. – If only ___________________.

10. I don’t want her to drive so fast. – I’d rather __________________.

11. She spends much time with my brother. – I wish _________________.

12. She can’t make cakes. It’s about time ______________________.

17. Below you have a list of regrets and desires of a woman who wastes her life on wasteful wishes. Write down what she is going to bore all her friends with this week. Begin with I wish, Oh if, I’d rather, It’s time, But for, If, etc.

e. g.: She isn’t happy that it’s not a real diamond in her ring. – I wish I had a real diamond in my ring.

She complains they had to stay at a bad hotel as her husband didn’t want to drive a few more kilometres. – If my husbandhad driven a few more kilometres we would have found a better hotel.

1. She is sorry that she didn’t marry Paul and go to Mexico with him. 2. She is sorry she sold her car and her wish is to buy a new one. 3. She regrets having moved to the country. 4. She would like her husband to stop whistling through his teeth. 5. She has a pug – dog but her desire is to have a Newfoundland. 6. Her wish is to sing and to do something creative. 7. She is very sorry she spent so much money on her new coat.

8. She regrets having gone to the restaurant yesterday. 9. They had no octopus that day.

10. Her husband wants to hang the new picture in the study, but she prefers to see it in the hall. 11. She thinks her husband has worked long enough to get a rise.

“As if” Clauses