Functions: Expressing Regret:How to express regret
Expressing regret means having a feeling of sadness about something that you did or did not do. To express regret in English, you may use many different structures. Here are some of them.
wish / if onlyYou can express regret by using wish or if only:
I wish / if only + Past perfect
Examples:I wish I had worked harder.
If only I hadn't eaten so much.
Conditional type 3You can also express regret by using a conditional sentence type 3.
If + past perfect + would + have + past participle
Examples:If I had worked hard, I would have passed the exam.
If I hadn't eaten so much, I wouldn't have been sick.
should haveRegret may also be expressed by using a modal should:
Should have + Past Participle
Examples:I should have sent him an invitation.
He should have done the work.
I regret...You can express regret by using:
regret + Verb + ing
OR
regret + Noun
Examples:He doesn't regret leaving her.
I regret the things I didn't do.