9

Focus wishes and regrets

Past regrets Grammar

Vocabulary
If only / I wish + past perfect
should have
expressions with to be
word formation (2)
Strategy showing sympathy

1 Warm-up
a Discuss the pictures with your partner.
What can you see? How do these people feel?

b When was the last time you went to a party? Have you ever met anyone special at a party?

2.18
2 Conversation
Language box
a 2.17 Listen and read. You should have come with us.
Jung: Hi Andrew. I’m back! Wow. You’ll never believe what an If only I’d been there.
I wish you hadn’t told me.
amazing day I’ve had. You should have come with us.
Andrew: I know. I wish I hadn’t had to visit my uncle. All we did was Grammar reference, p.110
watch TV. Anyway, how was the balloon festival?
Jung: Great. Everyone was there – except you, of course. We had a
barbecue and watched all the balloons taking off. They were huge!
And then just as we were about to leave, guess what happened?
Andrew: I have no idea. It started raining? Challenge!
Jung: No. The weather was perfect. Actually, this guy came over
Imagine Andrew calls his
and asked if we wanted a ride in his balloon!
uncle. With your partner,
Andrew: Really? Wow. That’s amazing. But it’s expensive, isn’t it?
role-play the conversation.
Jung: No, it was free! He said the people he was waiting for had
Andrew: You know when I
canceled, so he took us for a ride instead!
came to visit and we
Andrew: No way! I don’t believe you. You’re making this up.
watched TV?
Jung: No, I’m not. I took some photos on my cell phone … See? Uncle: Sure. Fun, wasn’t it?
Andrew: Woah! That’s incredible. I wish you hadn’t told me. Andrew: Er, yeah. Well, some
Jung: Yeah. You missed out big time. friends of mine
Andrew: If only I’d been there. went …
b Practice the conversation with a partner.

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 3 Vocabulary
a Complete each sentence using the correct
form of an expression with to be.
be down to be into be out of be up to
1 I haven’t seen you in a long time. What have
you          ?
2 If only I’d known Mary          tennis, I’d have
bought her a tennis racket.
3 We          milk. I’ll have to buy some more.
4 We’ve almost run out of money. We          our
last few dollars.

b Circle the expressions with to be in these sentences. Match each expression with a meaning.
1 What’s up with you? Why are you in such a bad mood? a in favor of
2 I’m all for recycling. It’s very important. b take (medication)
3 I don’t think Tim’s up yet. He’s not answering his phone. c out of bed
4 Peter is on pills for his allergy, you know. d What’s the matter?

4 Exchange
a Before you listen, complete the conversation using a verb in the correct form.
Work with a partner.
A: I wish she 1          me that she loved me before I took the job in Spain.
B: I know. She 2          something.
A: If only I 3          , I wouldn’t have accepted the job. I 4          here.
B: I suppose you 5          her to marry you. That’s what she was waiting for.
A: Yeah. You’re right. It’s my fault.
B: Never mind. You can’t change the past.
b 2.19 Listen and check. Then practice the conversation with your partner.

Strategy: Showing sympathy

a Match each regret with a response.
1 If only I hadn’t forgotten her phone number.
2 I wish I’d married her when I had the chance.
3 If only he’d told me he was sick.
a Never mind. Don’t blame yourself. It was his decision not to say anything.
b Try not to let it get you down. I’m sure you’ll remember it soon.
c It won’t do any good to keep thinking about it. She’s married to someone else now. Communication
activity
b 2.20 Listen and check. Then practice the conversations with a partner.
Student A, go to p.91
c Underline the expressions you can use to show sympathy. Student B, go to p.91

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 9 Past regrets

5 Language in action
a With a partner, look at the pictures (A–E) and talk about the mistakes Tom has made in his life.
What does he wish he had/hadn’t done? What should/shouldn’t he have done?
He wishes he had(n’t) …
He should(n’t) have … B
If only he had(n’t)
If he had(n’t) …, he would(n’t) have …
A

D
C

b Tell your partner about … Challenge!

• something you regret doing when you were younger.
Discuss with your partner what
• something you wish you had done when you were younger.
you think this saying means:
• something you regret saying to someone.
• something you wish you had said to someone. There’s no use crying over
spilled milk.
I wish I had(n’t) … / I should(n’t) have … / If only I had(n’t) …
Do you agree?

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 6 Listening
a 2.22Listen to Terri, from Australia, talk about some regrets
in her life. Answer the questions.
1 What’s her job?
2 How old is she?

b 2.22 Listen again and write T (true) or F (false) for each statement.
1 She has a lot of regrets.
2 She wishes she had studied more.
Go to the Digibook to watch
3 She wishes she had found a better job.
the video for this unit
4 She regrets having children.
5 She thinks she should have waited to have children.
6 She wishes she had done more traveling.
7 She thinks she should have saved more money.
8 There are many things she would have done differently.

7 Speaking
a Think about your past and complete these sentences. Then tell a partner, giving more information
where possible.
I really wish I’d learned how to play the guitar at high school. If I had learned, I would have joined a band.

What do you regret?

I really wish I’d learned how to  .
If only I’d  .
I should never have given up  .
Sometimes I think I should have  .
I wish I’d studied  .
Sometimes I really regret  .
If only my parents had  .
I wish I’d been more  .
(your idea)  .

b Make a group and share your ideas. Respond to your classmates’ regrets.
I don’t think you should have … Try not to let it get you down.

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 9 E X PA N S I O N

Reading
Skill: Identifying reference
Regrets – I’ve had a few!
My name’s Jack and I want to tell you about something I regret.
It happened over twenty years ago, but I still remember it as if
it was yesterday. I must have been around five years old. It was
a summer day and I was in a park playing with some other kids
from the neighborhood. There was a boy there named Jeremy
who I didn’t like very much, but I can’t remember why. Anyway,
we were playing near a pond. The water was very dirty and it
was full of weeds and slime. You can guess what I did, right? …
I waited until he was standing near the edge of the pond, and
then I crept up behind him and gave him a good hard push in
the back … he went flying straight into the filthy, slimy water!
His dad rushed over and pulled him out. Jeremy was crying and
pointed at me, saying “It was him. He pushed me!” Of course, I
denied it. My parents were there, but I insisted I was innocent
and without any proof they took my side. The bad thing is
that Jeremy’s parents and mine used to be good friends, but
after that they never spoke to each other again. I should have
told my parents the truth, but I didn’t. To this day, I still regret
pushing that boy into the pond.

Comments
Ken Thomas says: Luis Alonso says:
Great post, Jack. We all do things we regret, and not just Regrets are good because we learn from them. You shouldn’t
when we’re young. Only last week at a big supermarket, have lied, but the fact you feel bad means you learned that
the cashier gave me $10 too much in change, and I didn’t telling the truth is the best policy.
say a word. I wish I’d returned the money at the time,
because now it’s too late. I feel bad! Tina Fullerton says:
It’s not just the things you do that can be a source of regret,
Jolene Lee says: but the things you don’t do. There was this really cute guy
The only way to make amends is to put things right. Find in high school who I never asked out. I wish I had told him
Jeremy and ask for his forgiveness. Tell your parents the how I felt at the time. He’s married now.
truth. Do this, and you’ll feel much better, trust me!
Joon Kim says:
Life’s too short for regrets. Accept what you have done, learn
from it if you can, and move on. Keep positive!

Read the blog and the comments. Then find these phrases.
2.23
Who or what do the words in italics refer to?
1 There was a boy there named Jeremy
2 I crept up behind him
3 I denied it
Challenge!
4 they took my side Which opinions expressed in the
5 after that they never spoke to each other comments do you agree with? What do
6 now it’s too late you think Jack should do? Tell a partner.
7 Do this, and you’ll feel much better.
8 I wish I had told him how I felt.

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 Listening
Skill: Listening for the main idea
a 2.24Listen to four people talk about past regrets.
Write the number of each regret (1–4) next to the
correct person.
Vanessa ■ Steve ■
1 finding something and keeping it
2 saying something unkind to a partner
3 causing an accident
4 cheating on an exam

b Listen again and write down the words

2.24
and phrases that helped you decide.

Vocabulary Word formation (2) Leah ■ Miguel ■

a Complete the chart.

Adverb Noun Verb

regret
correctly

apologize

predictably
Challenge!
help
Look at the words in the chart.
sympathy With your partner, mark the
stress on each word.

b With a partner, add more words to the chart.

Study guide
Writing about a regret

Writing 1 Think of something you regret.

giving up baseball after high school
Write about something you regret. 2 Say why you regret this.
Look at the Study guide to help you. I liked it, my friends played it
3 Decide what language you can use.
I wish I hadn’t given up baseball after high school.
If only ... / I wish I hadn’t ... / I should have …
I used to like it because …

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