Ingles VII

WISH AND IF ONLY FOR REGRETS Use of I wish / if only: There are three distinct types of  I wish / if only  sentences: Wish, wanting change for the present or future with the simple past. Regret with the past perfect. Complaints with would + verb. Expressing a wish: Form: If only / I wish +  simple past Example: If only I knew how to use a computer. (I don’t know how to use a computer and I would like to learn how to use it) Use: To express a wish in the present or in the future. The simple past here is an unreal past. When you use the verb to be the form is “were”. Example: I wish I were a millionaire! Expressing regret: Form: If only / I wish +  past perfect Example: If only I had woken up early. (I didn't wake up early and I missed my bus.) Use: To express a regret. The action is past. Complaining: Form: I wish / if only + would + verb Example: I wish you wouldn't arrive so late all the time (I'm annoyed

INFINITIVE CLAUSES WITH IMPERSONAL IT We commonly use the pronoun  it  as both a subject and an object pronoun: Don’t drink the milk.  It  smells terrible. Has anyone seen my phone? I can’t find  it  anywhere. We often use  it  in question tags: That furniture is lovely.  It  isn’t too expensive for us, is  it ? You know the flat with three bedrooms by the supermarket?  It ’s the best one we’ve seen so far, isn’t  it ? See also: Tags It ,  this  and  that  in paragraphs It  as an ‘empty’ or ‘dummy’ subject and object We can use  it  as an ‘empty’ subject or as an ‘empty’ object. It is ‘empty’ because it doesn’t refer to anything in particular: I know  it ’s going to rain today! It ’s getting a bit late now, so let’s watch a DVD at home, shall we? She doesn’t like  it  when you are so quiet. How long will  it  be before he gives up smoking? Anticipatory  it We also use  it  to introduce or ‘anticipate’ th