193 You use the same tenses as in the if-clauses above to express wishes about the present and regrets about the past with I wish/If only: An imaginary future situation has consequences for the present If you talk about an imaginary future situation that influences the present, you use: If + past continuous would/could/might + infinitive If I were taking the exam tomorrow, I would be extremely nervous. I could spend all my money on fun stuff if I wasn’t buying a new car next month. Wishes about the present: I wish/If only + past tense When something in the present is not the way you would like it to be, you use: I wish/If only + past tense I wish it wasn’t raining today. (It’s raining and you don’t like this.) I wish I knew how to help you. (You don’t know how to help and you are unhappy about that.) Regrets about the past: I wish/If only + past perfect tense When you say that you regret (not) doing something in the past, you use: I wish/If only + past perfect tense I wish I hadn’t picked this college. (You picked a specific college and you regret that now.) If only I’d studied harder for the exam. Maybe I would’ve got a better mark. (You didn’t study hard enough and you regret that.) Phrases for talking about the future There are a number of phrases that are useful for talking about the future. Some are followed by an infinitive, others by a gerund or noun. Phrases that indicate that something is definitely going to happen be bound to + infinitive be due to + infinitive be sure to + infinitive be set to + infinitive be certain to + infinitive Traditional family structures are bound to change. The new law is due to come into effect in September. Your sister is sure to win the game. The costs are set to double by the end of the year. They are certain to get married soon. Phrases that indicate that something will happen soon be about to + infinitive be on the brink of + gerund/noun be on the verge of + gerund/noun be on the point of + gerund/noun We were about to get married when my fiancé changed his mind. The country is on the brink of a civil war. The economy is on the verge of collapsing. I was on the point of giving up when the letter arrived. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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