TESOL/Reflecting on the past
< TESOL
Key sentences
| Regretting or being thankful | Explaining why |
|---|---|
| I wish I had (past participle) when I was younger. | I would (verb) by now. |
| Regretting or being thankful | Explaining why |
|---|---|
| I'm really glad I (verb). It's a good thing I (verb). |
If I hadn't, I wouldn't have (past participle). |
Drills
Say these sentences without looking.
| past participle | sentence |
|---|---|
| studied English | I wish I had studied English when I was younger. |
| learned to play the piano | I wish I had learned to play the piano when I was younger. |
| saved more money | I wish I had saved more money when I was younger. |
| started a business | I wish I had started a business when I was younger. |
| verb | sentence |
|---|---|
| be fluent | I would be fluent by now. |
| have mastered the piano | I would have mastered the piano by now. |
| be rich | I would be rich by now. |
| own my own business | I would own my own business by now. |
| verb | sentence |
|---|---|
| went to college | I'm really glad I went to college. |
| joined my company | I'm really glad I joined my company. |
| kept playing the piano | I'm really glad I kept playing the piano. |
| kept exercising | I'm really glad I kept exercising. |
| past participle | sentence |
|---|---|
| gotten a degree | If I hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten a degree. |
| met my husband / wife | If I hadn't, I wouldn't have met my husband / wife. |
| become a great piano player | If I hadn't, I wouldn't have become a great piano player. |
| stayed in shape | If I hadn't, I wouldn't have stayed in shape. |
Example
Practice this conversation.
| Regretting or being thankful | Explaining why |
|---|---|
| I wish I had (studied English) when I was younger. | I would (be fluent) by now. |
| Regretting or being thankful | Explaining why |
|---|---|
| I'm really glad I (went to college). | If I hadn't, I wouldn't have (gotten a degree). |
Change partners. Use your imagination and change the sentences.
Exercise
Use your imagination. Make your own conversation.
| Regretting or being thankful | Explaining why |
|---|---|
|
I wish I had ... when I was younger. |
I would ... by now. |
| Regretting or being thankful | Explaining why |
|---|---|
| I'm really glad I .... | If I hadn't, I wouldn't have .... |
Change partners. Use your imagination and make another conversation.
Practice
| Regretting or being thankful | Explaining why |
|---|---|
| Talk about what you are glad about or regret. | Explain why. |
Further study
 |
Resource type: this resource is a lesson in English as a second language. |
quiz
This is about learning English.