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Arsenal's Arsene Wenger.

Understanding Grammar: Wishes & Regrets

Understanding Grammar: Wishes & Regrets

In this week's Premier Skills English Podcast, Jack and Rich talk about wishes and regrets. The language focus is on the phrases if only and I wish and how they can be used to express wishes in three different ways. Your task is to write five sentences that include if only and I wish. We also have a new football phrase for you to guess. Enjoy!

Transcript

If you find the podcast difficult to understand, you can read the transcript and listen at the same time.
Read and listen at the same time.

Introduction:

Rich: This traffic is awful. I really wish we lived somewhere without so many traffic jams. If only we’d taken the train, we’d have been there by now.

Jack: Yeah, it’s easy to say that now, though. If we’d taken the train, it could have been cancelled or delayed. It’s going to be fine.

Rich: We’re going to miss the start at this rate!

Jack: No we’re not. I’m sure we’ll be alright. We’ve got plenty of time. Calm down and keep your eye on the road - look we’re moving now.

Rich: I am calm. I don’t know what you mean.

Jack: And I wish you’d stop doing that.

Rich: Doing what?

Jack: That! Cracking your knuckles! It’s really irritating.

Rich: Alright keep your hair on.

Welcome - Wishes & Regrets

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich

Jack: and I’m Jack

Rich: and welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast

Jack: Where we talk about football and help you with your English.

Jack: What’s happening this week, Rich?

Rich: In this week’s podcast, we’re looking at grammar and specifically we’re going to talk about the phrases if only and I wish and show you three ways they can be used.

Jack: You might have noticed that we used these phrase in the opening section. Rich said: I wish we lived somewhere without traffic jams and if only we’d taken the train

Rich: And Jack said: I wish you’d stop doing that.

Jack: What are these three different meanings? Any ideas? Don’t worry if you’re not sure because we’re going to look at all three of them right now.

Rich: We want you to listen to three conversations. At the end of the conversations, we’ll talk about how I wish and if only are used differently in each one.

Jack: But the first time you listen we want you to answer a question about each conversation. The question for the first roleplay is: What do Rich and I wish was different?

Roleplay 1 

Jack: Roleplay one

Rich: This is crazy. You said ‘let’s get the train, it will be faster and more comfortable’ what was that phrase you said ‘let the train take the strain’. Well, the train’s packed and we haven’t got a seat. We’re going to be standing up for the next three hours.

Jack: I’m sure some people will get off at the next station.

Rich: In Spain, they only sell tickets for the number of seats they have on the train. If only this was a Spanish train.

Jack: I wish it was too! I wouldn’t mind a bit of sunshine.

Rich: Yeah, I wish it wasn’t raining so much. Hey, look there ... the other carriage. There’s nobody in it. Let’s go and sit in there.

Jack: We can’t sit in there. That’s first class!

Rich: Aaagh! If only we had first class tickets! Look. They get free drinks, too!

Jack: Yeah, but do you know how much they cost? I wish I had a bit more money. 

Roleplay 2 

Rich: Roleplay two.

Jack: The question for the second roleplay is: What do I think Arsene Wenger wishes had been different?

Rich: I suppose you’ve seen the news about Arsene Wenger.

Jack: It’s a bit sad really. He’s been at Arsenal for 22 years. I thought he was going to stay forever. I was a teenager when he came to Arsenal.

Rich: Wow! That was a long time ago then. Do you think he’ll have any regrets?

Jack: I don’t know. He’s probably Arsenal’s greatest ever manager. He’s won the Premier League three times and the FA Cup a record seven times and the double twice. 

Rich: Yeah, he’s done a lot for the club but there must be some regrets. What about Europe? I imagine he regrets not winning a European trophy.

Jack: Well, Arsenal could win one this season! But, I know what you mean. I imagine he wishes that Arsenal had done better in the Champions League. The final against Barcelona in 2008 was definitely one of those if only moments.

Rich: What do you mean?

Jack: I imagine he thinks ... if only we had won that match we would have gone on to win more trophies. If only the goalkeeper hadn’t been sent off, if only we had held on to the lead, if only Barcelona hadn’t equalised .. that kind of thing.

Rich: Regrets? Maybe he has a few … after all.

Roleplay 3 

Rich: Roleplay three.

Jack: The question for the first roleplay is: What does Rich’s partner wish was different?

Jack: Are you all right? You look a bit ticked off.

Rich: We’ve just had another big row … she’s driving me up the wall.

Jack: Ahh! I understand.

Rich: A big long list of complaints. I wish you wouldn’t watch so much football, if only you’d come home a bit earlier, I wish you wouldn’t snore so loudly, I wish you’d listen to me, If only you’d put down your phone for one minute blah blah blah!

Jack: The counselling is going well then I take it.

Rich: Quiet!

Language Focus

Rich: In the first conversation, we used I wish and if only to talk about present situations that we would like to change.

Jack: We use if only or I wish + past verb forms to do this. In the conversation, Rich said: If only this was a Spanish train.

Rich: I wasn’t on a Spanish train though I was on an English one, but I wanted or wished to be on a Spanish train.

Jack: He also said: If only we had first class tickets.

Rich: But we didn’t have standard class tickets, unfortunately.

Jack: We’re talking about the present but we need to use the verb in the past here; we can’t say if only we have first class tickets, for example, it’s if only we had first class tickets.

Rich: We use the past tense because we’re talking about a hypothetical situation. That is, a situation we are imagining. It’s not something that is usually possible to change.

Jack: One other thing that you might think is strange is: if only she were or I wish I weren’t. 

Rich: And people often say if I were you rather than if I was you. 

Jack: Because these are imaginary situations the language we use to describe them is sometimes called the subjunctive mood. In other languages, this is important for grammar, but in English, the mood of a statement rarely changes the grammar.

Rich: And native speakers often don’t use the subjunctive. You may hear someone say I wish she was here just as often as I wish she were here.

Jack: I think the most important phrase for learners to remember here is if I were you. If I were you, I’d study more. If I were you, I’d talk to him. If I were you, I’d go and see a doctor.

Rich: Yes, this is definitely the most common use of the subjunctive in English.

Jack: And we can use were with all subjects so you could say I wish she were here or I wish I weren’t working such long hours.

...

Rich: In the second conversation, we used wish and if only to talk about regrets; things that we would like to change but can’t because it’s already happened.

Jack: We use if only or wish + past perfect to talk about a wish to change something that has already happened. 

Rich: In the conversation, Jack was talking about the Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, and he used quite a few examples of if only, such as: if only the goalkeeper hadn’t been sent off or if only we had held on to the lead. 

Jack: But the goalkeeper was sent off and we didn’t hold on to the lead. We use if only to talk about something that we wish had happened differently.

Rich: When we talk about regrets we can also use the word ‘regret’ plus the verb in the -ing form or the gerund. An example from the earlier conversation was: he regrets not winning a European trophy. 

...

Rich: In the third conversation, we used I wish and if only to complain about things.

Jack: In the conversation, you heard Rich say: I wish you wouldn’t watch so much football and if only you’d come home a bit earlier.

Rich: When we use if only and I wish to complain about something we use this structure: if only or wish + would + infinitive without to

Jack: This structure is not only used to complain about things and is also used to talk about a wish for the future or to show a contrast between how things are and how we would like them to be.

Rich: If only my boss would give me some time off, I could then travel around the world is one example and if only they would listen to each other then they would stop having arguments is another example.

Jack: These could be seen as complaints or wishes. When does a complaint become a wish I wonder.

Rich: We’ve got some practice activities for you on the page below if you’d like to learn more about if only and I wish.

TASK

Jack: This week’s task is to write five sentences using if only and/or I wish.

Rich: We will read five different situations and we want you to change or transform the situation into a sentence that begins with I wish or if only. Write your answers in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

  1. My neighbour makes a lot of noise and it’s difficult to sleep sometimes.
  2. I can’t believe he missed that penalty! We would have won if he had scored.
  3. It was a big mistake not studying languages at school.
  4. He loves the sound of his own voice. Why can’t he be quiet for a change?
  5. This match is boring. It’s always so defensive. 

Football Phrase

Rich: Every week we give you a football phrase for you to guess. Have you got this week’s phrase, Jack?

Jack: Yes, I have, but first, we need to look at last week’s football phrase. The phrase was to drop a clanger. The phrase means to make a mistake. It can be used in and out of football but is especially relevant for goalkeepers because the first word in the phrase is what goalkeepers do with the ball if they make a mistake. For example, Joe Hart played really well against Chelsea but then he dropped a clanger in the next game against Stoke.

Rich: It was a difficult one but some of you got it right. Well done to Ahmed Dam from Sudan, Liubomyr from Ukraine, and Lakerwang from China. And a good attempt from Milos from Serbia and Elghoul from Algeria who said the phrase was to make a blunder. That has the same meaning and is a word I like - blunder. What’s this week’s phrase?

Jack: This week’s football phrase is *** *** ** *** ******. This phrase is used to talk about the referee at the beginning of the match by commentators on TV. The commentators usually say something like *** *** ** *** ****** today is Michael Oliver. It’s just an informal way of saying today’s referee is … The key to the phrase is where the referee usually stands at the beginning of the match. He’s not at the end of a pitch he’s usually in the ****** of the pitch.

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below.

Jack: If you have enjoyed this podcast or found it useful, leave us a rating or review and that will help other people find us. 

Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football!

Vocabulary

How much did you understand?

In the podcast, Rich and Jack used some words and phrases that might be new for you. Do you know the words in bold?

The train would probably have been cancelled or delayed.

I've just had a big row ... she's driving me up the wall.

There were a few more tricky words in the podcast. Do you know what they all mean? Try the activity below, then, listen to the podcast again to hear how we used the words.

Activity 1

Activity 1: In this activity, try to match the words and phrases to the descriptions.
Can you match the words to their definitions?

Rich wishes they had taken the train!

Language

If only & I wish

In this week's podcast, Rich and Jack spoke about three different ways we can use if only and I wish. Let's take a look at them again:

To talk about regrets

If only we'd taken the train ...

If only the goalkeeper hadn't been sent off.

When we talk about regrets (something in the past that we wish hadn't happened), we can use if only or I wish + the past perfect. The examples are things that we would like to change but can’t because the action has already happened. We didn't take the train and the goalkeeper was sent off but we wish that the goalkeeper hadn't been sent off and that we had taken the train.

To talk about present situations we would like to change

If only this was a Spanish train.

I really wish we lived somewhere without so many traffic jams.

When we talk about things that we would like to change but can't because it's impossible or very difficult we use if only or I wish + the past simple. The examples are hypothetical situations. It's not a Spanish train we don't live in a place with fewer traffic jams.

To complain about something

She wishes he wouldn't watch so much football.

If only he wouldn't snore so loudly.

When we complain about things we can use if only or wish + would + infinitive without to. In the examples above, he watches a lot of football and snores too much but she wishes that he would do this less.

In this activity, take a look at the sentences that and put them in the correct group.

Activity 2

Activity 2: In this activity, take a look at some of the phrases that Jack and Rich used in the podcast. It's your job to think whether they are being used to make complaints, speak about regrets or talk about something they would like to change.
Put the phrases in the right category.

Arsene Wenger probably wishes he had won the Champions League Final in 2006.

Task

Sentence Transformations

This week's task is to read the five situations below and then complete the five sentences by using if only or I wish at the beginning. Write your answers in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

  1. My neighbour makes a lot of noise and it’s difficult to sleep sometimes.

  2. I can’t believe he missed that penalty! We would have won if he had scored.

  3. It was a big mistake not studying languages at school.

  4. He loves the sound of his own voice. Why can’t he be quiet for a change?

  5. This match is boring. It’s always so defensive. 

e.g. I wish my neighbours would be a bit quieter at night.

Quiz

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Comment

What do you think?

In this week’s podcast, Jack and Rich spoke about wishes and regrets. Choose some of the questions below and try to include I wish or if only in your answers.

  • Do you think Arsene Wenger has any regrets after over 20 years at Arsenal?
  • Do you have any regrets?
  • Can you tell us something that you wish someone would stop doing?
  • Do you know anyone with an irritating habit?
  • If you could change one thing about football / the Premier League / the world, what would it be?

Write your answers and your answers to this week's task in the comments section below.

Remember to write your guess for this week's football phrase, too!

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Comentários

hsn's picture
hsn
15/04/2021
TR
5560
points

COMMENTS;

• Do you think Arsene Wenger has any regrets after over 20 years at Arsenal?
• Everybody has some regrets.

• Do you have any regrets?
Plenty of regrets. “I graduated from university of faults”

• Can you tell us something that you wish someone would stop doing?
Talking without thinking.

• Do you know anyone with an irritating habit?
A person who is yawning while speaking on phone.

• If you could change one thing about football / the Premier League / the world, what would it be?
Trying to get rid of poverty or immigration in the world would be my priority.

TASK;

1- I wish my neighbour wouldn’t make a lot of noise.

2- if only he hadn’t missed that penalty! We would have won.

3- If only I had studied languages at school.

4- I wish he would be quiet.If only he wouldn’t speak too much.

5- I wish this match wouldn’t be one-side.If only the teams would play fast.

HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION

• If only I would have been in a place which is hotter than here like seaside. I wish also I had an ice-cream. If only my wife were here.

IMAGINARY SITUATIONS
• If I were you I wouldn't mind about things that happened in the workplace.

REGRETS
I regret working so much in my business life. I wish I had seperated much free times for myself. (or) If only I hadn’t work so much in in my business life.

• If only I hadn't insist on my opinion when we arguing about new furniture.

COMPLAINTS
• I wish the manager wouldn't charge me plenty of works and she/he would let me go home a bit earlier.

PHRASES;

• Keep your hair on, I’ll not ask you to lend me some money.Keep your money safe-:)

• Don't push accelerator pedal so much the engine can't take the strain and become break down.

• Selfish people always drive me up the wall.


hsn's picture
hsn
15/04/2021 12:47
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5560

COMMENTS;

• Do you think Arsene Wenger has any regrets after over 20 years at Arsenal?
• Everybody has some regrets.

• Do you have any regrets?
Plenty of regrets. “I graduated from university of faults”

• Can you tell us something that you wish someone would stop doing?
Talking without thinking.

• Do you know anyone with an irritating habit?
A person who is yawning while speaking on phone.

• If you could change one thing about football / the Premier League / the world, what would it be?
Trying to get rid of poverty or immigration in the world would be my priority.

TASK;

1- I wish my neighbour wouldn’t make a lot of noise.

2- if only he hadn’t missed that penalty! We would have won.

3- If only I had studied languages at school.

4- I wish he would be quiet.If only he wouldn’t speak too much.

5- I wish this match wouldn’t be one-side.If only the teams would play fast.

HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION

• If only I would have been in a place which is hotter than here like seaside. I wish also I had an ice-cream. If only my wife were here.

IMAGINARY SITUATIONS
• If I were you I wouldn't mind about things that happened in the workplace.

REGRETS
I regret working so much in my business life. I wish I had seperated much free times for myself. (or) If only I hadn’t work so much in in my business life.

• If only I hadn't insist on my opinion when we arguing about new furniture.

COMPLAINTS
• I wish the manager wouldn't charge me plenty of works and she/he would let me go home a bit earlier.

PHRASES;

• Keep your hair on, I’ll not ask you to lend me some money.Keep your money safe-:)

• Don't push accelerator pedal so much the engine can't take the strain and become break down.

• Selfish people always drive me up the wall.

Cthulhu M's picture
Cthulhu M
07/12/2020
ES
30
points

Correct me
Task Sentence Transformations
1. If only my neighbours would be a bit quieter at night.
2. I wish he hadn't missed that penalty. We would have won if he had scored.
3. If only I had studied languages at school, I wouldn't have problems with them now.
4. I wish he would be quieter.
5. I wish the match were more exciting.

Wenger questions:
I think that Wenger regrets not winning the champions league, it's the only trophy which would have made perfect his manager career.
If only I'd played more football at school, I would be rich today.
I hate when people stare at me, if only they stopped doing that, I would be happier.
I wish they had 5 changes per game instead of 3 at the Premier League matches.


Cthulhu M's picture
Cthulhu M
07/12/2020 12:10
Spain
Manchester United
30

Correct me
Task Sentence Transformations
1. If only my neighbours would be a bit quieter at night.
2. I wish he hadn't missed that penalty. We would have won if he had scored.
3. If only I had studied languages at school, I wouldn't have problems with them now.
4. I wish he would be quieter.
5. I wish the match were more exciting.

Wenger questions:
I think that Wenger regrets not winning the champions league, it's the only trophy which would have made perfect his manager career.
If only I'd played more football at school, I would be rich today.
I hate when people stare at me, if only they stopped doing that, I would be happier.
I wish they had 5 changes per game instead of 3 at the Premier League matches.

Rich's picture
Rich
08/12/2020
ES
594
points

Hi Cthulhu M,

These are really good answers! I'd probably write the third question more like this:

If people stopped staring at me I would be much happier. I hate it.

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team


Rich's picture
Rich
08/12/2020 10:35
Spain
Liverpool
594

Hi Cthulhu M,

These are really good answers! I'd probably write the third question more like this:

If people stopped staring at me I would be much happier. I hate it.

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020
TR
6539
points

I think this week’s football phrase is ( at the centre of the pitch ) or ( in the front line )


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020 17:03
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I think this week’s football phrase is ( at the centre of the pitch ) or ( in the front line )

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020
TR
6539
points

Task :
1. I wish he would calm down a bit. I really need some sleep
2. If only he had scored that penalty to win the game
3. I wish I had learned more languages during my time at school
4. If only he would stop singing for awhile. It’s really irritating
5. I wish the match were more attacking to enjoy it more


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020 17:01
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

Task :
1. I wish he would calm down a bit. I really need some sleep
2. If only he had scored that penalty to win the game
3. I wish I had learned more languages during my time at school
4. If only he would stop singing for awhile. It’s really irritating
5. I wish the match were more attacking to enjoy it more

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020
TR
6539
points

I wish people around the world respected each other more and stopped racism


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020 16:57
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I wish people around the world respected each other more and stopped racism

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020
TR
6539
points

I wish my mum would stop telling me you should marry soon very often. I think she’s overprotective :))


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020 16:56
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I wish my mum would stop telling me you should marry soon very often. I think she’s overprotective :))

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020
TR
6539
points

I think the only regret that he might have is letting his best players leave the club every year.
I regret not knowing about these podcasts a few years earlier
I wish I had started listening to these podcasts a few years ago


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
28/05/2020 16:54
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I think the only regret that he might have is letting his best players leave the club every year.
I regret not knowing about these podcasts a few years earlier
I wish I had started listening to these podcasts a few years ago

Regims's picture
Regims
12/05/2018
ID
249
points

i wish i can remember this grammar and fortunately use in other conversation chance


Regims's picture
Regims
12/05/2018 16:39
Indonesia
Manchester United
249

i wish i can remember this grammar and fortunately use in other conversation chance

sabanoleg
03/05/2018
UA
2337
points

I think football phrase is"*** *** ** *** ******"


sabanoleg
03/05/2018 08:56
Ukraine
Arsenal
2337

I think football phrase is"*** *** ** *** ******"

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
02/05/2018
SD
2903
points

Correct me.

★ Questions.
▶I think Arsene's biggest regret would be not winning the CL. If ONLY HE'd STICKED to his winning formula of his first decade, HE MIGHT HAVE CRACKED the CL in the end. Arsene's second decade has seen him change his policy. Yeah, there hasn't been great footballers, I'm talking about the likes of Vieira, Bergkamp, Henry, etc.

▶I regret not dedicating much time for playing football. IF ONLY I'd PRACTICED MORE, I think I COULD'VE BEEN at least an average footballer!

▶I WISH my bro WOULD STOP coming home very late at night, by then, I wouldn't be interrupted while sleeping.

▶Some people are too selfish when they smoke in public places. I really WISH the government WOULD DO something about it. Shouldn't it be banned?

▶IF I COULD change one thing about the Premier League, or let me say English football, IT'd BE the replay matches. It'd be better to play extra time+ penalties instead of playing a series of replays. English teams seem to be exhausted of football. They have to take part in the PL, the FA Cup, the League Cup, European football, the Boxing Day fixtures, the Summer tour. They play football all year round! It'd become extremely tiring when a team had to squeeze in not only a reply but maybe a number of replays.


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
02/05/2018 10:22
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

Correct me.

★ Questions.
▶I think Arsene's biggest regret would be not winning the CL. If ONLY HE'd STICKED to his winning formula of his first decade, HE MIGHT HAVE CRACKED the CL in the end. Arsene's second decade has seen him change his policy. Yeah, there hasn't been great footballers, I'm talking about the likes of Vieira, Bergkamp, Henry, etc.

▶I regret not dedicating much time for playing football. IF ONLY I'd PRACTICED MORE, I think I COULD'VE BEEN at least an average footballer!

▶I WISH my bro WOULD STOP coming home very late at night, by then, I wouldn't be interrupted while sleeping.

▶Some people are too selfish when they smoke in public places. I really WISH the government WOULD DO something about it. Shouldn't it be banned?

▶IF I COULD change one thing about the Premier League, or let me say English football, IT'd BE the replay matches. It'd be better to play extra time+ penalties instead of playing a series of replays. English teams seem to be exhausted of football. They have to take part in the PL, the FA Cup, the League Cup, European football, the Boxing Day fixtures, the Summer tour. They play football all year round! It'd become extremely tiring when a team had to squeeze in not only a reply but maybe a number of replays.

Rich's picture
Rich
03/05/2018
ES
594
points

Hi Ahmed Adam,

Thanks for your response and I agree with you to a certain extent about replays but I think they are an important source of income for lower league clubs.

Your answers are spot on! The only change I can see is that 'stick' is an irregular verb. I'll let you find the answer to that one :) 

Also, prepositions; you dedicate time TO something; exhausted FROM or BY something. However, you use a lot of really difficult dependent prepositions really well i.e. squeeze IN, stick TO and take PART IN.

Hope that helps!

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team


Rich's picture
Rich
03/05/2018 11:45
Spain
Liverpool
594

Hi Ahmed Adam,

Thanks for your response and I agree with you to a certain extent about replays but I think they are an important source of income for lower league clubs.

Your answers are spot on! The only change I can see is that 'stick' is an irregular verb. I'll let you find the answer to that one :) 

Also, prepositions; you dedicate time TO something; exhausted FROM or BY something. However, you use a lot of really difficult dependent prepositions really well i.e. squeeze IN, stick TO and take PART IN.

Hope that helps!

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
12/05/2018
SD
2903
points

Oops! I mixed between two completely different verbs and the one I ment here was Stick, stuck, stuck. Silly me!

Ah prepositions! That's what I'm struggling with. Thanks a lot teacher.


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
12/05/2018 07:06
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

Oops! I mixed between two completely different verbs and the one I ment here was Stick, stuck, stuck. Silly me!

Ah prepositions! That's what I'm struggling with. Thanks a lot teacher.

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
02/05/2018
SD
2903
points

Correct me.

★ TASK
I wish my neighbour wouldn't make a lot of noise. It’s difficult to sleep sometimes.

If only he'd scored that penalty, we would have won.

I wish I had studied languages at school.

If only he wouldn't love the sound of his own voice. Why can’t he be quiet for a change?

This match is boring. I wish it wasn't so defensive.


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
02/05/2018 09:28
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

Correct me.

★ TASK
I wish my neighbour wouldn't make a lot of noise. It’s difficult to sleep sometimes.

If only he'd scored that penalty, we would have won.

I wish I had studied languages at school.

If only he wouldn't love the sound of his own voice. Why can’t he be quiet for a change?

This match is boring. I wish it wasn't so defensive.

Rich's picture
Rich
03/05/2018
ES
594
points

Hi Ahmed Adam,

All of your answers are great. I'd probably make a couple of changes but I think we're talking about style rather than grammatical correctness. In the first and fourth sentences, I'd probably use 'so much'. Any ideas where you'd fit this into the sentences? In sentence four I'd probably use the past simple rather than would. 

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team


Rich's picture
Rich
03/05/2018 11:34
Spain
Liverpool
594

Hi Ahmed Adam,

All of your answers are great. I'd probably make a couple of changes but I think we're talking about style rather than grammatical correctness. In the first and fourth sentences, I'd probably use 'so much'. Any ideas where you'd fit this into the sentences? In sentence four I'd probably use the past simple rather than would. 

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
12/05/2018
SD
2903
points

Thank you teacher Richard for your continuous help and assistance. It really helps a lot.

●My corrections
I wish my neighbour wouldn't make so much noise.

If only he didn't love the sound of his own voice so much.


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
12/05/2018 06:31
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

Thank you teacher Richard for your continuous help and assistance. It really helps a lot.

●My corrections
I wish my neighbour wouldn't make so much noise.

If only he didn't love the sound of his own voice so much.

elghoul's picture
elghoul
29/04/2018
DZ
3988
points

He wishes he had won an European trophy.

If only I had learnt English at the primary school.

If only my friend couldn't smoke so much.

I wish my neighbour had not snored that much.

If only he had missed that penalty we would have won.

Football phrase, At the center of the pitch. 


elghoul's picture
elghoul
29/04/2018 17:54
Algeria
Manchester City
3988

He wishes he had won an European trophy.

If only I had learnt English at the primary school.

If only my friend couldn't smoke so much.

I wish my neighbour had not snored that much.

If only he had missed that penalty we would have won.

Football phrase, At the center of the pitch. 

Violinka
28/04/2018
UA
1859
points

May be the phrase is "the ref at the centre"


Violinka
28/04/2018 15:46
Ukraine
Chelsea
1859

May be the phrase is "the ref at the centre"

Violinka
28/04/2018
UA
1859
points

I wish my neighbours would be a bit quieter at night.
If only he'd score the goal. We would have won.
If only I were studying languages at school.
He loves the sound of his own voice. If only he was quiet for a change.
This match is boring. I really wish it was'n so defensive.


Violinka
28/04/2018 15:37
Ukraine
Chelsea
1859

I wish my neighbours would be a bit quieter at night.
If only he'd score the goal. We would have won.
If only I were studying languages at school.
He loves the sound of his own voice. If only he was quiet for a change.
This match is boring. I really wish it was'n so defensive.

Rich's picture
Rich
29/04/2018
ES
594
points

Good work on the task, Violinka. You're not quite there with the football phrase. Do you want to make another guess?

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team


Rich's picture
Rich
29/04/2018 10:41
Spain
Liverpool
594

Good work on the task, Violinka. You're not quite there with the football phrase. Do you want to make another guess?

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team

shiaulis's picture
shiaulis
27/04/2018
UA
8
points

1. If only my neighbour would be a bit quieter I could sleep much longer
2. I wish he hadn't missed that penalty.
3. If only I had studied languages at school I could have much less problems with them now.
4. I wish he would be quet for a change.
5. If only match was no so defansive it could be much interesting.

This week's phrase I don't know) i think it somehow related to the centre of the pitch)

1. The only regret for Arsen is he wished he had win that match in 2006
2. My main regret for this season if only Tottenham had win Juventus in Champions League it could became Champions League winner.
3. If only people had behaved more accurately on road I would be much happier.
4. I don't like when my friends are smoking. I wish thay stop doint that.
5. If only I lived somewhere in england to have an ability to visit Premier League matches


shiaulis's picture
shiaulis
27/04/2018 20:01
Ukraine
Tottenham Hotspur
8

1. If only my neighbour would be a bit quieter I could sleep much longer
2. I wish he hadn't missed that penalty.
3. If only I had studied languages at school I could have much less problems with them now.
4. I wish he would be quet for a change.
5. If only match was no so defansive it could be much interesting.

This week's phrase I don't know) i think it somehow related to the centre of the pitch)

1. The only regret for Arsen is he wished he had win that match in 2006
2. My main regret for this season if only Tottenham had win Juventus in Champions League it could became Champions League winner.
3. If only people had behaved more accurately on road I would be much happier.
4. I don't like when my friends are smoking. I wish thay stop doint that.
5. If only I lived somewhere in england to have an ability to visit Premier League matches

Rich's picture
Rich
29/04/2018
ES
594
points

Hi Shiaulis,

Welcome to Premier Skills English. We hope you enjoy the website.

Good work on the task. You used 'if only' and 'I wish' correctly. In the other questions remember to use the third form of the verb with the past perfect (had won not had win) and for a future change, you should say ' I wish they would stop doing that'.

Hope that helps!

Rich - The Premier Skills English TEam


Rich's picture
Rich
29/04/2018 10:48
Spain
Liverpool
594

Hi Shiaulis,

Welcome to Premier Skills English. We hope you enjoy the website.

Good work on the task. You used 'if only' and 'I wish' correctly. In the other questions remember to use the third form of the verb with the past perfect (had won not had win) and for a future change, you should say ' I wish they would stop doing that'.

Hope that helps!

Rich - The Premier Skills English TEam

lakerwang
27/04/2018
CN
337
points

1. I wish my neighbour would be quiet and I could sleep well.
2. If only he hadn't missed that penalty!
3. If only I had studied languages at school.
4. I wish he would be quiet for a change in spite of his love for the sound of his own voice.
5. I wish this match would be more attacking and exciting.
This week's phrase is "*** *** ** *** ******".


lakerwang
27/04/2018 17:58
China
Chelsea
337

1. I wish my neighbour would be quiet and I could sleep well.
2. If only he hadn't missed that penalty!
3. If only I had studied languages at school.
4. I wish he would be quiet for a change in spite of his love for the sound of his own voice.
5. I wish this match would be more attacking and exciting.
This week's phrase is "*** *** ** *** ******".

Rich's picture
Rich
29/04/2018
ES
594
points

Good work all round, Lakerwang!


Rich's picture
Rich
29/04/2018 10:49
Spain
Liverpool
594

Good work all round, Lakerwang!

Liubomyr's picture
Liubomyr
27/04/2018
UA
4417
points

It seems that in Roleplay 3 Rich came near to burst out laughing, but eventually skipped some part of text from the transcript )))))


Liubomyr's picture
Liubomyr
27/04/2018 10:26
Ukraine
Watford
4417

It seems that in Roleplay 3 Rich came near to burst out laughing, but eventually skipped some part of text from the transcript )))))

Rich's picture
Rich
27/04/2018
ES
594
points

Thanks, Liubomyr! I'm not the best actor :) Good to know you're reading the transcript!


Rich's picture
Rich
27/04/2018 12:08
Spain
Liverpool
594

Thanks, Liubomyr! I'm not the best actor :) Good to know you're reading the transcript!

Liubomyr's picture
Liubomyr
27/04/2018
UA
4417
points

I think that the phrase is ‘*** *** ** *** ******’


Liubomyr's picture
Liubomyr
27/04/2018 10:14
Ukraine
Watford
4417

I think that the phrase is ‘*** *** ** *** ******’

kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
27/04/2018
GH
4779
points

This week's phrase is *** *** ** *** centre


kwesimanifest's picture
kwesimanifest
27/04/2018 09:27
Ghana
Manchester United
4779

This week's phrase is *** *** ** *** centre

milos
27/04/2018
RS
2663
points

1.I wish my neighbour made less noise.
2.I wish he hadn't missed that penalty!
3.If only I had studied languages at school.
4.I know that he loves the sound of his own vioice,but I wish he would be quiet for a change.
5.This match is boring I wish they would play more atacking style.
You are right,it is difficult to make a difference between complaint and present situations we would like to change.I give my best to answer this task,but I think that I have some mistake.I think that sentences 2 and 3 is about regrets.Sentences 1 and 4 is about present situations we would like to change.The sentence 5 is about complain.Could you correct me if I was wrong?
Do I have any regrets?Yes,I have some regrets,but I try don t think about them.Instead of thinking about past regrets I try to learn on my own mistakes that I made.I wish I had more studied language at school.But that mistake is my motivation to be patient and learn english almost every day.And thanks to you learnig are going very well.
I agree with you about regrets that Arsene Wenger has.I think that champions league finale his biggest regret.I respect everything that Arsene Wenger has done all this years.He is one of the best football coach.He developed many young player and he upgraded football game so much.Nothing is going to be the same when he leave Arsenal.I wish he stayed Arsenal coach.
I think that football phrase is *** on *** center of the pitch.


milos
27/04/2018 08:25
Serbia
Manchester United
2663

1.I wish my neighbour made less noise.
2.I wish he hadn't missed that penalty!
3.If only I had studied languages at school.
4.I know that he loves the sound of his own vioice,but I wish he would be quiet for a change.
5.This match is boring I wish they would play more atacking style.
You are right,it is difficult to make a difference between complaint and present situations we would like to change.I give my best to answer this task,but I think that I have some mistake.I think that sentences 2 and 3 is about regrets.Sentences 1 and 4 is about present situations we would like to change.The sentence 5 is about complain.Could you correct me if I was wrong?
Do I have any regrets?Yes,I have some regrets,but I try don t think about them.Instead of thinking about past regrets I try to learn on my own mistakes that I made.I wish I had more studied language at school.But that mistake is my motivation to be patient and learn english almost every day.And thanks to you learnig are going very well.
I agree with you about regrets that Arsene Wenger has.I think that champions league finale his biggest regret.I respect everything that Arsene Wenger has done all this years.He is one of the best football coach.He developed many young player and he upgraded football game so much.Nothing is going to be the same when he leave Arsenal.I wish he stayed Arsenal coach.
I think that football phrase is *** on *** center of the pitch.

admin's picture
admin
27/04/2018
GB
560
points

Hi Milos

I think you have completed the task very well. You're right to say it's not easy. Number 2 strikes me as a perfect example of an 'if only' regret. There's something a bit emotional about it and it's completely hypothetical as it's in the past; you'd have to invent a time machine to do anything about it.

For me, you could use I wish or if only for number 3. It depends on the level of emotion. I wish feels a bit more casual. 

You have a couple of the words from the phrase of the week. I blanked them out to help you if you want to try to get the rest.

Thanks

Jack - The Premier Skills English Team

 


admin's picture
admin
27/04/2018 10:08
United Kingdom
Arsenal
560

Hi Milos

I think you have completed the task very well. You're right to say it's not easy. Number 2 strikes me as a perfect example of an 'if only' regret. There's something a bit emotional about it and it's completely hypothetical as it's in the past; you'd have to invent a time machine to do anything about it.

For me, you could use I wish or if only for number 3. It depends on the level of emotion. I wish feels a bit more casual. 

You have a couple of the words from the phrase of the week. I blanked them out to help you if you want to try to get the rest.

Thanks

Jack - The Premier Skills English Team

 

Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
26/04/2018
SD
2903
points

Wow! Football phrases have started to become a bit too demanding recently, which is not a bad thing! This week's phrase I guess '*** *** ** *** ******'


Ahmed Adam Mamado's picture
Ahmed Adam Mamado
26/04/2018 17:32
Sudan
Liverpool
2903

Wow! Football phrases have started to become a bit too demanding recently, which is not a bad thing! This week's phrase I guess '*** *** ** *** ******'

Rich's picture
Rich
26/04/2018
ES
594
points

Still too easy for you, Ahmed Adam! Well done, you're the first to get the answer right this week!

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team


Rich's picture
Rich
26/04/2018 22:36
Spain
Liverpool
594

Still too easy for you, Ahmed Adam! Well done, you're the first to get the answer right this week!

Rich - The Premier Skills English Team

Leaderboard

Top Scorers
RankNameScore
1Alex_from_Ukraine6578
2mobeckham6539
3hsn5560
4wsanta5086
5kwesimanifest4779
6Liubomyr4417
7elghoul3988
8assemjuve3705
9aragorn19863557
10Gergő Nagy3396
Country ranking
RankNameScore
1Colombia74689
2Ukraine33900
3Spain29544
4Serbia27426
5Brazil23661
6Albania20578
7Vietnam20460
8Turkey20111
9Macedonia19074
10Bosnia and Herzegovina16333
Club ranking
RankNameScore
1Manchester United147027
2Liverpool111542
3Chelsea90291
4Arsenal86309
5Manchester City59070
6Tottenham Hotspur19506
7Newcastle United10626
8West Ham United7701
9AFC Bournemouth4915
10Crystal Palace4627

Level

3
Average: 3 (1 vote)

Goals

Skills: Listening

Language: Wishes and regrets

Task: Sentence transformations