English lesson | Wishes and regrets

In this English lesson, you will learn 4 structures to express wishes and regrets.
wish + past simple
= to describe a situation in the present that we would like to be different.
We use the past simple form, but our regret is in the present.
Example: I wish I had more friends.
wish + someone / something + "would" + base form of verb
= we want someone to change their behaviour
or
= we want something to happen
Example: I wish you would listen.
wish + past perfect
= to describe a past situation that we regret.
Example: I wish I had gone to the concert.
We can also use "never" with a negative to emphasise our regret:
Example: I wish I had never gone to the concert.
(I went to the concert. I really regret it now.)
"if only" + past perfect
= This is another way to describe situation from the past that we regret.
If only I had passed my exams.
(I didn't pass my exams. I regret it now.)
"if only" + past perfect
and
wish + past perfect
The meaning of the above 2 structures is the same.
The difference is that "if only" is slightly more formal.
There are lots of examples and detailed explanations in in the video. The accent is a British English accent.
Private English lessons and speaking practice with a native teacher: goo.gl/mvvu8b
IELTS online course with practice tests and ebook: bit.ly/2uIHrGn
Other English lessons:
Past simple: • Past simple tense | En...
Past perfect: • PAST PERFECT TENSE | E...
Verb "to be": • Verb "to BE" | English...
Playlists:
Grammar: • learn English grammar
Advice to improve your English: • How to improve your En...
Listening practice: • English listening prac...
Vocabulary: • learn English vocabulary
Andrew,
Crown Academy of English
Website: www.crownacadem...
Twitter: / crown_english
RUclips: / crownacademyenglish
Photo credits by FreeDigitalPhotos.net:
"All The Best Guys!" by stockimages
“Man” by graur codrin
“Sad Man Looking At His Broken Car” by David Castillo Dominici

[@teebamohammad7142]

If only I had watched yor lesson in the past

[@fatimaezahraeelosrouti5662]

This channel literally saved my life ,so grateful for discovering it.

[@gacaladan5477]

If only I had a car, is that all?

[@AngelPerez-gx7nf]

I'm Spanish and the Andrews' lessons have helped a lot in order to understand properly a and almost perfectly the British grammar, so l'm absolutely convinced he's one the best teacher l ever meet.

[@fazilpeerally5288]

Hello Andrew !
Great. Thanks a lot. The video lesson about the 4 structures of wishes and regrets are meaningful and helpful. The way you extrapolate the topics with examples and photographs to have a better understanding are perfect and excellent. On that note, you deserve a good credit. You are an outstanding English teacher and a good linguist. Hats off to you !
I look forward to other similar video lesson soon.
My kindest regards,
Fazil

[@ilduarita09]

Thank you Andrew!!! You are an excellent teacher of English.

[@carolinasegurazavala9203]

Thank you. Really interesting. Your explanations are great. Next week we have English exams and your classes are very useful. Thanks again.

[@megnam3923]

Thanks a million! The way you explain is fantabulous. I have no words to express my gratitude. Once again thank you very much 😊🙏

[@ЛераСкрынник-в4ш]

Thank you too much! 🤝😙💕💞💖

[@joelmasamba6762]

Thanks a lot about your great lesson my amazing teacher keep up the good work my amazing teacher keep up the good work!!! I've been learning more from you i wish i had Money to give you regarding the English lesson!!!

[@dr.ahmed2007]

Lier

[@hiimchris3398]

I wish i had watched this lesson yesterday before my test.

[@maryj7423]

Best explanation I found after 2 hours of searching the web, no joke!

[@terminux._9087]

We have a test in English soon, on that :) I'm glad to understand your lesson because my english teacher is so bad, I'm French and I gotcha everything that you said, so I imagine, English people could arrive easy

[@carolinasegurazavala9203]

Nowadays, we have the same problem as you.

[@SSPANZERGR]

If only I had known about this channel, before. Thanks, great explanation

[@veronika8746]

Thanks, your pronunciation is perfect!

[@saidfarid6382]

Hello dear teacher
Thank you so much for your interesting information about English,i do appreciate your job.I wish you peace and happness under the sky of prosperity. Take care and have a good time.
All the best.
Your Student from Algeria.

[@teebamohammad7142]

I wish I watched your lessons from the beginning ' thanks Mr

[@laurarodriguez965]

You saved my life. Thanks.

[@dolonmal5213]

We wish we got a lesson on should have,would have and could have. It would be really great.

[@rachend810]

Hey teacher Andrew!, why did you left us a lot of time?! ...I think I talked for all suscribers when I say that we miss your lessons!....I am glad to hear your voice again and I can continue learn english again ;) ...
Cheers!,
Raquel

[@mouradahmadi8750]

i wish i were watched your lessons in the past

[@nhenguyen6514]

Thank you so much Andrew, but sorry, i don't understand about the final already. But anyway, i'm really grateful your passion. Thank you

[@sarahroumanos6431]

thank you so much for the video it helped me for my midterm exams

[@نورالهدى-ك8ع9ص]

Mille merci teacher Andrew for useful lessons you are so good as well as great god bless you my dear💖

[@GauriV297991]

Hello sir. I've a question. Many other professors or teachers suggests that ' I wish I were rich ' is grammatically correct than 'I wish I was rich ' . Plz help out in clearing the confusion between Were and Was in these kind of 'wish' sentences.

[@d.p.1552]

The “correct” form would be to use ‘were’ because you are talking about a hipotetical/impossible/ unreal situation. It’s been a battle with the linguists because people are using it and it’s getting acceptance little by little.

[@davidjohnny1310]

You teach very well. Thanks a lot dear teacher

[@engineerfuadmousa7665]

Very important topic
Thanks a lot Andrew 👍

[@chaymaelyrics8056]

Your British English sounds stunning ngl!

[@jojjoj4938]

Wha is ngl stand for?

[@chaymaelyrics8056]

@@jojjoj4938 it means "not going to lie "

[@uchihaitachi6648]

@@jojjoj4938 it means not gonna lie

[@ngocthanhnguyen5446]

I wish I had watched such a high quality video like this earlier!!!

[@caroquinsuazo4431]

Very good😊

[@soroushbaharvand4513]

We can use were too for sImple past.

[@minazohra3628]

I think it's grammatically correct to say I wish I was but it's more appropriate to say I wish I were ...your opinion please?

[@andreakollarova9017]

I think the same! for example: I wish I were rich!

[@ingridpaima]

The lesson was very clear👍I enjoy it 😬thank you..

[@radhakrishnanpk7230]

Thank you very much.

[@veetveet8085]

Love you sr ...I am finding this type of video...I am from india....Love you sr

[@فاطمه-ث8م3ظ]

Excellent Excellent Excellent

[@latedinn]

RLY GOOD THANKS PREMIERE MAN

[@mac-i6t]

i wish i had a great english skill
i wish my father would admit me in English school
i wish i had gone to english school
if only i had gone to english school

[@taoufiqleuleu]

Thanks a lot .you are a great teacher.

[@sandrareginamaciqueirapere5500]

Excellent. Thanks

[@mmme23]

Good evening, I've been told and read many times that the correct way to say it is " I wish I were", but here you said its " I wish i was". Which one would be the correct form? Thank you

[@mrsaddad4746]

Both of them are right

[@mahmoudnaser7556]

Useful videos. Thanks for your efforts

[@Bouchka291]

Thanks Andrew, video really useful for me.

[@leenametilda7460]

Awesome stuff. Thanks a lot.

[@soroushgfk980hesam]

Thanks for your learning❤❤

[@evagelospapazacharias9112]

GREAT VIDEO. VERY HELPFUL

[@دروسالدعمالابتدائي-م1ض]

Thank you Teacher. Really I've injoyed for this lesson

[@mrsaddad4746]

We don't say for this lesson we say I've enjoyed this lesson

[@econonita5514]

Podrían hacer un video acerca de cómo usar "should and shouldn´t have"? Please

[@عاشالمملكةالمغربيةاللهالوطنالم]

Its a great thank you very much teacher

[@ashemuller1928]

I ,m from,eretrian and i learning from these vido i wan't say thank you and continue

[@McFraceOficial]

thank you so much for had made this video, i had this for homework, and this video has saved my life.

[@alsiddegalamin692]

Good

[@sainawhanmain3025]

I wish I had remembered this lesson in the past

[@drsamia8436]

Thank you so much it was so helpful

[@topegaye1741]

Very clear. Thank you

[@hasanemami9513]

I want to write four sentences about this lesson, please let me know if they are right?
I wish I was fluent in English.
I wis I had studied English at a university.
I wish you would help me to improve my English on Skype.
If only I had found your channel earlier.

[@basmalayousef7630]

Thank you

[@zorak3897]

Excuse me teacher but wich is the difference between "I wish I COULD" and "I wish I WOULD"?
Good video, it helps me a lot

[@mrsaddad4746]

Could is the past form of the modal can.
Would is the weak from of will

[@abdullahihusseinali6237]

Wonderful lessons thank you so much

[@israrbabar9266]

thank you so much, Andrew Sir

[@joaquinmontenegroperdomo5278]

Thank you!!

[@hamzahm.marhoon9256]

thank you🌹🌹

[@momohey836]

Excuse me
Thank you so much for the great job
is it right to say I wish I was or I wish I were
Thanks in advance

[@fabiennethiburce662]

The correct form is "I were" and not "I was" although you can say it, but you cannot write it. This would be incorrect: the past simple "were" is used because it has never occurred

[@arts4152]

Very useful for me thanks

[@sylvieroca9255]

Thank you.

[@زهرةالربيع-ش5ر]

thank you teacher , it's very useful explanation

[@a.u.i.sdivanjana427]

THANK YOU SO MUCH ANDREW!

[@MariaDor-i2w]

Thank you so much🙏

[@marosya3978]

Thank u so much but
When we use could then?

[@marjanp4784]

I have read it somewhere - I wish I would have met him earlier.
Is it correct?
If I follow the instructions,it should be - I wish I had met him earlier.
Isn't it the right form?

[@w.kehasuwan2073]

Tkanks for you lesson.

[@gitishirasb7874]

Thank you so much 👌👌💖💖💖

[@sethany5694]

Thanks for clear explanation

[@CrownAcademyEnglish]

Thanks for your comment. I am happy that you like my English lessons.
Best wishes,
Andrew

[@tamirislopes5078]

I loved it

[@imanerim989]

Thank you dear Andrew

[@tewodroswolderufael7198]

it was very good thank you.

[@yetsimarin]

Thanks Teacher, excellent!

[@senethgiraldo6868]

Great explanation!!!

[@dineshgomber9224]

very very important, thanks a lot

[@racha4960]

you can answer on my question please :
farmers should not put a lot of fertilisers on their crops the sooner the better
with wish

[@mobeckham]

RA Cha I wish farmers wouldn’t put a lot of fertilisers on their crops :)
Or you can say it in present I wish farmers didn’t put a lot of fertilisers on their crops :)
hope it’s helpful

[@hadil8187]

Thank you 💕

[@michelesilvestri3672]

Nice lesson , as always, but if i said : I would like to have a house ... instead of I wish etc.. it would change in meaning ? Thx

[@rabergeo4602]

Thanks for this useful lesson

[@vanesarojas2943]

I wish i spoke english more confidently without thinking so much

[@Rh-pz3eb]

Same as me!😉

[@altayebgamaraldawla652]

Thanks a lot of teacher

[@longinamandrykcunha7364]

Thanks a lot

[@fahimehmousazadeh1966]

Great. Thanks a lot

[@cutiepig7773]

Thank you sir Thank you 💟

[@nourfarooki7079]

Hello Sir,
Can we use I wish I was rich/ I wish I were rich?
Also I need clarification in the use of If only. I think If only is used in a positive sense. Please explain.

[@tallrapp]

"I wish I were" rich is actually correct. The verb is not the past simple; it is actually the subjunctive. The difficulty is that the subjunctive in this structure uses the conjugation of the third person plural past. For most all verbs (excepting "to be"), the conjugation is the same as the simple past. Hence the confusion being spread. "If only I were in London," is also correct.

[@nourfarooki7079]

Ok. Very nice.
What about these two sentences? Are they correct?.
I wish I was/ were a doctor.
He wished he was/were a doctor.

[@creative6974]

Could we publish this video for commercial use if u allow to us .

[@abubakramine5913]

in the second structure, Is it possible using the verb (hope) instead of (wish)? so, is it right to say: I hope they would send me the letter today.

[@luisascencio7456]

Wouldn't it be better to say "I wish I were rich"?

[@Lana-bx7jm]

I think the correct form to say that is using was because the pronom "I" is singular. In the past simple tense "was" is used by she,he,it and I while "were" is used by you, we, they. Saludos desde Argentina

[@fabiennethiburce662]

@@Lana-bx7jm The correct form is "I were" and not "I was" although you can say it, but you cannot write it. This would be incorrect: the past simple "were" is used because it has never occurred

[@salasalcarazazael4764]

you're absolutely right man, I started to read the comments since I wanted to see if someone had realized that mistake too, well done! and for all the pronouns the correct way is "were".
I wish I were rich
she wishes she were rich, etc
it's also common to see, I wish I was rich but it's not the correct, at least everyone is going to understand you so don't worry about it

[@ΗλίαςΧάλκος]

Thank you very much

[@globuspallidus2457]

is it possible to say:
I wish they would have helped me?
'wish + sb/sb+ would + perfect infinitive'?

[@sandressouza3831]

Great work!!!!

[@wafaaaabid416]

I wish you were my teacher. you're awesome 😍

[@fatimaalsharafi4773]

Thank you so much 😊

[@haidikhan8882]

Sir u r the best

[@samiamohamedabdel-lah3352]

I had understood it perfectly. You had explained it very well. Good explanation. Thanks!!

[@angiecocoa]

How about "were", for example "I wish I were rich", isn't it correct?

[@markcraftstudio6383]

do you have a video about "Subject-verb agreement?" Thank you

[@mad223chu9]

If only I had seen your video, I would be effective now.