Regrets come hand-in-hand with mistakes. Many people live by the motto “No regrets,” but sometimes we need to express at least a minor regret or mistake in English. How do we do that? There are several phrases/expressions/structures (5, in total) in English to express regret about something that we did or didn't do: 1. I wish / if only + Past perfect Examples (there's no difference in meaning between I wish and If only):
Examples:
Examples:
Examples:
![]() 5. I'd rather/sooner I + HAD/HADN'T PAST PARTICIPLE Examples (there is no difference in meaning between I'd rather and I'd sooner): I'd sooner I hadn't talked to her like that. I really hurt her feelings.
E.g. I could have gotten a job at the French embassy, which is of course a very prestigious place to work at, if I had invested more time in studying French. **Shoulda, woulda, coulda… If you do start expressing your regrets in English, you’re likely to hear ‘shoulda, woulda, coulda’ at some point. These words can pop out in any order – one of the few times word order is flexible in English. ‘Shoulda, woulda, coulda’ is an English speaker’s way of telling you not to think about the things you ‘should have’, ‘would have’, or ‘could have’ done in any situation. It’s how we tell people not to worry about things they can’t change, and not to look back. This video covers 3 out of 5 possible forms for expressing regrets.
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