Page 1: Expressing Wishes, Regrets, and Preferences in English
This page provides a comprehensive overview of various grammatical structures used to express wishes, regrets, and preferences in English. The content is organized into several key sections, each focusing on a specific construction.
Highlight: The page emphasizes the importance of "cofany czas" (backshifting) in many of these constructions, where the tense is shifted back in time to express hypothetical or unreal situations.
The "I wish/If only" section explains how to use these phrases to express regrets about the present, past, and future. It outlines the appropriate tense usage for each time frame:
- For present situations: Past Simple/Continuous
- For past situations: Past Perfect
- For future situations: Would + infinitive (when we want something to happen but have no influence over it)
Example: "I wish I had more money" (expressing a present wish)
Example: "I wish she had finished it" (expressing a past regret)
The "It's (high) time" construction is presented as a way to indicate that something should happen or should have already happened. The page explains two ways to use this structure:
- With a subject: "It's time you played"
- Without a subject: "It's time to sing that song"
Vocabulary: "Bezokolicnik" refers to the infinitive form of a verb.
The "I'd rather/Would rather" section covers expressing preferences. It explains how to use this construction both for personal preferences and when expressing preferences for others' actions:
- For personal preferences: "I'd rather go home"
- For others' actions: "He'd rather she called"
Definition: "I'd rather" is a contraction of "I would rather," used to express a preference.
The page also briefly mentions "Supposing/Supposed" constructions for hypothetical situations, though it doesn't provide detailed explanations for these.
Highlight: The document emphasizes the importance of using the correct tense and structure for each type of expression, highlighting the nuances between present, past, and future situations.
Overall, this page serves as a comprehensive guide for English language learners studying advanced grammar structures for expressing wishes, regrets, and preferences. It provides a solid foundation for understanding and using these complex constructions in various contexts.
