Welcome to your advanced English lesson on expressing regrets! At a C1 level, you’re already fluent and comfortable in English, but mastering nuanced expressions like regret will elevate your communication skills even further. This lesson focuses on how to effectively and naturally express regret in English, expanding beyond basic phrases and delving into more sophisticated grammatical structures and vocabulary.

Why Learn to Express Regrets Effectively?

Being able to talk about the past and express regrets is a crucial part of advanced English communication. It allows you to:

• Communicate complex emotions: Expressing regret is more than just saying “sorry.” It conveys a deeper sense of reflection and understanding of past actions and their consequences.
• Engage in nuanced conversations: In sophisticated discussions, especially in professional or academic settings, you’ll often need to discuss past decisions and outcomes. Knowing how to express regret appropriately is essential.
• Improve your spoken English fluency: Practicing regret phrases will enhance your fluency and naturalness when speaking English. You’ll sound more like a native speaker by using a wider range of expressions.
• Enhance your vocabulary: This lesson will introduce you to more advanced vocabulary and grammatical structures related to expressing regret, expanding your overall English proficiency.

Key Grammatical Structures for Expressing Regret

Let’s explore the core grammatical structures you need to confidently express regrets in English. Understanding these structures is key to mastering this functional language area.

1. Using the Past Perfect

The past perfect tense is fundamental when expressing regret about something that didn’t happen or happened differently in the past. It helps to show that the regret is about an action that is finished and in the past before another point in the past (the moment of regret).

Structure: Subject + had + past participle

Examples:

• “I wish I had studied harder for that exam.” (Regret about not studying hard enough in the past)
• “If only I hadn’t said those words, things would be different now.” (Regret about saying something in the past)
• “I regret that I hadn’t taken the opportunity to travel when I was younger.” (Regret about missing a past opportunity)

Notice how the past perfect (“had studied,” “hadn’t said,” “hadn’t taken”) places the regretted action firmly in the past, highlighting the feeling of regret in the present.

2. ‘Should Have’ and ‘Ought to Have’

“Should have” and “ought to have” are modal verbs used to express regret or criticism about past actions. They indicate that a different action was advisable or expected.

Structure: Subject + should/ought to + have + past participle

Examples:

• “I should have listened to my parents’ advice.” (Regret about not listening to advice in the past)
• “You ought to have told me about this earlier!” (Expressing regret and mild criticism)
• “We shouldn’t have eaten so much cake last night. I feel terrible now.” (Regret about a past action and its present consequence)

While “should have” is more common, “ought to have” carries a slightly stronger sense of obligation or moral correctness.

3. ‘Wish’ and ‘If Only’

“Wish” and “if only” are powerful tools for expressing regrets about present situations that are different from what we desire. They often express a desire for the present to be different because of a past action (or inaction).

Structure with ‘wish’: Subject + wish + (that) + Subject + past simple/past continuous/would

Structure with ‘if only’: If only + Subject + past simple/past continuous/would

Examples:

• “I wish I had more free time.” (Regret about the current lack of free time, often implying past choices led to this)
• “If only I hadn’t spent all my money on that new phone!” (Regret about a past spending decision affecting the present)
• “She wishes she hadn’t moved to the city.” (Regret about a past decision to move, impacting her present situation)

Notice that we use the past simple or past continuous after ‘wish’ and ‘if only’ to express regret about a present situation. Using ‘would’ after ‘wish’ expresses regret about someone else’s actions or something you can’t control: “I wish he would listen to me!”

4. ‘Could Have’

“Could have” expresses regret about missed opportunities or possibilities in the past. It suggests that something was possible but didn’t happen.

Structure: Subject + could have + past participle

Examples:

• “I could have gone to university, but I chose to work instead.” (Regret about not pursuing university education)
• “We could have won the game if we had played better in the first half.” (Regret about not performing well enough to win)
• “She could have said something, but she remained silent.” (Regret about someone’s inaction in the past)

“Could have” often implies a sense of lost potential or a path not taken.

Advanced Phrases for Expressing Deeper Regret

To truly master expressing regrets in English at a C1 level, you need to move beyond basic structures and incorporate more nuanced and sophisticated phrases. These phrases add depth and emotional weight to your expressions of regret.

• “If I had my time again…” – This phrase is used to express a strong desire to change a past decision or action. It’s a powerful way to indicate deep regret.
  Example: “If I had my time again, I would definitely study abroad. It’s one of my biggest regrets.”

• “Hindsight is a wonderful thing…” – This idiom is used when you realize what you should have done in the past, but only after the event has happened. It acknowledges that it’s easy to see the right course of action after the fact.
  Example: “Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Looking back, I should have invested in that company.”

• “I deeply regret…” / “I sincerely regret…” – These phrases use stronger adverbs to emphasize the intensity of your regret.

  Example: “I deeply regret not spending more time with my grandfather before he passed away.”
  Example: “I sincerely regret any offense I may have caused with my words.”

• “It’s a source of great regret to me…” – This is a more formal and sophisticated way to express regret, often used in written English or more formal spoken contexts.

  Example: “It’s a source of great regret to me that I never learned to play a musical instrument.”

• “To my eternal regret…” – This phrase expresses a very strong and lasting regret, suggesting it will stay with you for a very long time.

  Example: “To my eternal regret, I missed my best friend’s wedding due to work commitments.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even advanced learners sometimes make mistakes when expressing regrets. Here are a few common pitfalls to watch out for:

• Incorrect tense after ‘wish’: Remember to use the past simple, past continuous, or ‘would’ after ‘wish’ when expressing regret about a present situation. Avoid using the present simple or future tenses. (Incorrect: “I wish I am taller.” Correct: “I wish I were taller.”)
• Misusing ‘regret’ as a verb: While “regret” can be a verb, be mindful of its usage. Often, structures with ‘wish,’ ‘if only,’ and ‘should have’ are more natural for spoken English.
• Overusing simple phrases: While “I’m sorry” can express regret, it’s less specific than the structures we’ve discussed. Expand your repertoire to sound more sophisticated.

Let’s Practice!

Now it’s time to put your knowledge into practice! Complete the following exercises to solidify your understanding of expressing regrets in English.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences below using the correct form of the verb in brackets and appropriate regret structures (should have, wish, if only, could have, past perfect).

1. I ________ (study) medicine, but I chose engineering instead. Now I regret it.
2. If only I ________ (listen) to the weather forecast. We wouldn’t be stuck in this rain!
3. She wishes she ________ (not eat) so much junk food. She feels unhealthy now.
4. They ________ (ask) for directions. They are completely lost.
5. I ________ (go) to the party last night, but I was too tired. I heard it was amazing.

Exercise 2: Sentence Transformation

Rewrite the following sentences to express regret using different structures.

1. I didn’t save any money last year, and now I can’t go on holiday. (Use ‘wish’)
2. It was a mistake to sell my old car. (Use ‘should have’)
3. I regret not learning to play the piano when I was younger. (Use ‘If only’)

Exercise 3: Speaking Practice

Think about a few situations in your life that you regret. Use the phrases and structures you’ve learned to express these regrets. Practice saying them aloud. For example:

• A missed opportunity in your career or studies.
• A time you gave bad advice or didn’t help someone.
• A purchase you regret making.

Answers to Exercise 1:

1. I wish I had studied medicine, but I chose engineering instead. Now I regret it.
2. If only I had listened to the weather forecast. We wouldn’t be stuck in this rain!
3. She wishes she hadn’t eaten so much junk food. She feels unhealthy now.
4. They should have asked for directions. They are completely lost.
5. I could have gone to the party last night, but I was too tired. I heard it was amazing.

Answers to Exercise 2:

1. I wish I had saved some money last year so that I could go on holiday now.
2. I shouldn’t have sold my old car.
3. If only I had learned to play the piano when I was younger.

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this lesson on expressing regrets in English! You’ve now expanded your knowledge of advanced grammatical structures and vocabulary to effectively communicate this important emotion. Remember to practice these phrases in your daily conversations to improve your fluency and confidence in spoken English.

Want to practice expressing regrets and other English speaking skills with an AI tutor? Check out Lingofrnd.com, your AI spoken English teacher! Download the app and start practicing today:

Download App