Unit 20: I wish I had...
– Asking about regrets
– Talking about regrets
Part 1
Vocabulary
Look at the questions below. Check the appropriate column.
| When you were a child did you… | Yes | No | Sometimes |
| 1. goof off in school? | |||
| 2. get involved in a clique? | |||
| 3. try hard to fit in? | |||
| 4. pick on other kids? | |||
| 5. give your parents a hard time? | |||
| 6. take school seriously? | |||
| 7. have an active social life? | |||
| 8. get involved in activities? |
Explain your answers to your teacher.
Sample answer
A: I goofed off sometimes, but I was a pretty good student.
B: I goofed off all the time. I got in trouble a lot!
Part 2
Conversation
Listen and answer 2 questions.
1. What does Nina regret?
2. What would she do differently?
Paul & Nina
Transcript
Paul: Are you taking a math class this semester, Nina?
Nina: Yeah, I am. I took math in high school, but I didn’t do well because I was always goofing around. I wish I had taken school more seriously.
Paul: What else do you wish you had done when you were young?
Nina: I wish I hadn’t gotten involved in a clique. Those friends were a bad influence on me. If only I had had nicer friends, I might have been a better student.
Paul: Well, we all learn from our mistakes.
Nina: You’re right.
Example answer
- Nina regrets not taking school more seriously.
- If Nina could do something differently, she would not have gotten involved in a clique because maybe she would have been a better student.
Practice the conversation with teacher
Find the best places to add the sentences below to the conversation and practice it again.
Then maybe I wouldn’t be having such a hard time now.
That looks like a math book.
I’ve learned a few things since high school.
It’s hard making good friends in high school.
Paul: Are you taking a math class this semester, Nina? _______________.
Nina: Yeah, I am. I took math in high school, but I didn’t do well because I was always goofing around. I wish I had taken school more seriously. _______________.
Paul: What else do you wish you had done when you were young?
Nina: I wish I hadn’t gotten involved in a clique. Those friends were a bad influence on me. If only I had had nicer friends, I might have been a better student. _______________.
Paul: Well, we all learn from our mistakes.
Nina: You’re right. _______________.
Answers
Paul: Are you taking a math class this semester, Nina? That looks like a math book.
Nina: Yeah, I am. I took math in high school, but I didn’t do well because I was always goofing around. I wish I had taken school more seriously. Then maybe I wouldn't be having such a hard time now.
Paul: What else do you wish you had done when you were young?
Nina: I wish I hadn’t gotten involved in a clique. Those friends were a bad influence on me. If only I had had nicer friends, I might have been a better student. It's hard making good friends in high school.
Paul: Well, we all learn from our mistakes.
Nina: You’re right. I've learned a few things since high school.
Part 3
Language Booster
Notice the ways we ask about and talk about regrets.
Asking about regrets
- If you could do it over, what would you do differently?
- What/Where/Who/When do you wish you…?
- Do you wish you had…?
Talking about regrets
- I wish l’d (taken school more seriously).
- I wish I hadn’t (gotten involved in a clique).
- I regret…
- I (never) should have…
- lf only I had/hadn’t…
- lf I could do it over, I would…
Talk with your teacher about one regret that you have from your early teen years and what you would do differently if you could.
Example
A: What's one regret you have from your early teen years?
B: I wish I'd taken school more seriously.
A: What do you wish you could do differently?
B: Well, I got good grades, but I didn't study to learn, just to pass tests. If I could do it over, I would study to make myself a better person.
Part 4
Listening
Listen to Jack and Clara talk about regrets. Check (✅) the regrets that you hear.
| 1. not going with Jack | 6. going to South Beach |
| 2. taking a vacation | 7. going on vacation with friends |
3. listening to brother’s advice | 8. coming home on Sunday |
| 4. staying in the hotel from last year | 9. taking an early morning class |
| 5. buying a new computer | 10. swimming in a lake |
Answer
1. ✅
2.
3. ✅
4.
5. ✅
6. ✅
7.
8. ✅
9.
10.
Listen again. Where did the speakers go? Where would they go if they could do it again?
1. Clara went to ___________________. If she could do it again, she would go to ___________________.
2. Jack went to ___________________. If he could do it again, he would go to ___________________.
Transcript
A: Welcome back, Clara! How was your vacation?
B: Hi, Jack. Oh, it was awful. I wish I had gone to the beach with you instead of to the city.
A: Why? What went wrong?
B: Well, first of all, I never should have listened to my brother’s advice about hotels. The room was dirty, and the staff was not friendly. My brother doesn’t care where he sleeps, but I like a nice clean hotel with good service.
A: Where do you wish you had stayed?
B: I wish I’d stayed at the hotel I stayed in last year. It was great! Too bad I didn’t have enough money for that hotel this year. If only I hadn’t bought that new computer last month.
A: I’m sorry you had such a bad vacation.
B: That’s OK. How was yours? Did you have a good time?
A: We mostly had a good time, but it was so hot. I regret going to South Beach in the middle of summer.
B: Yeah, South Beach is really hot in the summer. Do you wish you had gone to Baker Beach instead? You were thinking about going there.
A: Yeah, I do. Baker Beach is much cooler at this time of year. Also, I wish I hadn’t stayed at the beach until Sunday night. I was so tired when I got home, and I had an early morning class on Monday.
B: Next year, let’s plan our vacations more carefully.
A: Good idea. If I could do it over, I would go to Baker Beach, and I would come home on Saturday night so I could spend Sunday recovering from my vacation.
B: If I could do it over, I think I would take a totally different vacation. I would go to the mountains and go hiking and swimming in the lake. That would be much more relaxing than a vacation in the city.
Answer
- Clara went to the city. If she could do it again, she would go to the mountains to go hiking and swimming in a lake.
- Jack went to South Beach. If he could do it again, he would go to Baker Beach and come home on Saturday night so he could rest on Sunday.
Part 5
Speak with confidence
List three regrets – one from your childhood, one from the last year, and one from the last two weeks.
Talk to your teacher about the regrets you listed.
| Topic | |
| Regret 1 | |
| Regret 2 | |
| Regret 3 |
Sample answer
A: What do you wish you had done differently last year?
B: I wish I'd taken a vacation with my family.
A: Really? I wish I'd taken a vacation with my friends, not my family/
B: So if you could do something over from your childhood, what would you do differently?