I wish and If only

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL worksheet for I wish and If only with reading, grammar, and pair discussion for B1 intermediate

ESL I wish If only Worksheet - Reading and Grammar Exercises: Categorising, Gap-fill, Binary Choice, Writing Sentences - Speaking Activity: Discussion - Pair Work

In this useful 'I wish' and 'If only' worksheet, students learn and practice using 'I wish' and 'If only' to talk about how they would like situations to be different...

ESL I wish If only Worksheet - Reading and Grammar Exercises: Categorising, Gap-fill, Binary Choice, Writing Sentences - Speaking Activity: Discussion - Pair Work In this useful 'I wish' and 'If only' worksheet, students learn and practice using 'I wish' and 'If only' to talk about how they would like situations to be different now or how they wish the past had been different. Students start by reading two personal introductions. Students then indicate who said each statement about a wish or regret based on the information given in the introductions. Next, students decide if each wish or regret is about the past or the present. After that, students read the grammar rules associated with 'I wish' and 'If only' and use verbs in brackets to complete example sentences. Next, students read wishes and regrets and choose the correct form of the verb to complete each sentence. Students then move on to express wishes or regrets for a set of statements using 'I wish' or 'If only'. Finally, students take turns asking conversation questions about wishes and regrets to a partner and respond to their partner's questions with 'I wish' or 'If only'.
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I wish / If only

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL worksheet for I wish / If only with grammar, writing, and sentence completion for B1 intermediate

ESL I wish If only Worksheet - Grammar and Writing Exercises: Gap-fill, Rewriting Sentences, Sentence Completion

This free wishes and regrets worksheet can be used to introduce students to 'I wish' and 'If only' and to show how these structures are used to express present wishes and past regrets. Students begin...

ESL I wish If only Worksheet - Grammar and Writing Exercises: Gap-fill, Rewriting Sentences, Sentence Completion This free wishes and regrets worksheet can be used to introduce students to 'I wish' and 'If only' and to show how these structures are used to express present wishes and past regrets. Students begin by reading how to use 'I wish' and 'If only' to talk about a present situation that they would like to be different. Students then complete statements with verbs from a box in their past simple form. Next, students change each sentence into a wish about the present using 'I wish' and 'If only'. Students then move on to read how 'I wish' and 'If only' can be used to express regrets for past situations. After that, students complete regrets with the past perfect form of the verbs in brackets. Students then write about four things from their past that they regret with 'I wish' and 'If only'. Finally, students read ten statements and decide if each one is about the present or past by underlining the answer in brackets.
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Oh Dear!

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL I wish / If only game for B1: matching problems and regrets, making sentences in pairs

ESL I wish If only Game - Speaking: Matching, Forming Sentences - Pair Work

In this engaging 'I wish' or 'If only' game, students match everyday problems with appropriate wishes or regrets and say full sentences beginning with 'I wish' or 'If only'. In pairs, students take turns turning over one problem card and one...

ESL I wish If only Game - Speaking: Matching, Forming Sentences from Prompts - Pair Work In this engaging 'I wish' or 'If only' game, students match everyday problems with appropriate wishes or regrets and say full sentences beginning with 'I wish' or 'If only'. In pairs, students take turns turning over one problem card and one wish/regret card. If the prompt on the wish/regret card matches the problem, the student reads it out as a sentence beginning with 'I wish' or 'If only'. If the other student agrees the sentence is correct and matches the problem, the student wins, keeps the two cards and has another turn. If not, the student turns the cards back over, keeping them in the same place. It's then the other student's turn to play. The student with the most pairs of cards at the end of the game wins.
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Regrets Game

Intermediate (B1) 25 minutes
ESL regrets game for I wish/If only: students express regrets with the past perfect about health problems

ESL I wish If only Game - Grammar and Writing: Forming and Writing Sentences, Freer Practice - Group Work

In this expressing regrets game, students use 'I wish' or 'If only' with the past perfect to express regrets about health problems. Read a health problem to the class (e.g. I've got a toothache.) and set a...

ESL I wish If only Game - Grammar and Writing: Forming and Writing Sentences from Prompts, Freer Practice - Group Work In this expressing regrets game, students use 'I wish' or 'If only' with the past perfect to express regrets about health problems. Read a health problem to the class (e.g. I've got a toothache.) and set a time limit of two minutes. The teams then write down as many regrets as they can for the ailment using 'I wish' and 'If only' with the past perfect. For example, 'I wish I hadn't eaten so many sweets.' 'If only I had gone to the dentist more often,' etc. When the time limit has been reached, the teams stop writing and swap their paper with another team for marking. Teams score one point for each appropriate and grammatically correct regret. Write the scores on the board and then read the next health problem. The team with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
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Wishes and Regrets

Intermediate (B1) 30 minutes
ESL worksheet for wishes and regrets with gap-fill and sentence completion, B1 intermediate

ESL Wishes and Regrets Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Gap-fill, Categorising, Binary Choice, Sentence Completion

In this productive wishes and regrets worksheet, students practice using 'I wish' and 'If only' with the past simple for present wishes and with the past perfect for past regrets. Students begin by...

ESL Wishes and Regrets Worksheet - Grammar Exercises: Gap-fill, Categorising, Binary Choice, Sentence Completion In this productive wishes and regrets worksheet, students practice using 'I wish' and 'If only' with the past simple for present wishes and with the past perfect for past regrets. First, students complete wishes and regrets with verbs from a box in the past simple for present wishes and the past participle for past regrets. Next, students put the sentences into the correct category by deciding if each sentence expresses a wish or a regret. Students then complete the grammar rules for 'I wish' and 'If only' by ticking the correct tense. After that, students rewrite sentences using 'I wish' and 'If only', indicating whether each sentence expresses a wish or a regret by circling the appropriate word. Lastly, students write their own wishes and regrets and then discuss them with a partner.
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A Regrettable Day Out

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL I wish/If only game for B2: students express regrets and guess places visited after a bad day out

ESL I wish If only Game - Grammar and Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing, Controlled Practice - Pair Work

Here is an 'I wish' and 'If only' game that helps students practice expressing regrets about a bad day out. In two groups, students start by completing...

ESL I wish If only Game - Grammar and Speaking: Gap-fill, Asking and Answering Questions, Guessing, Controlled Practice - Pair Work Here is an 'I wish' and 'If only' game that helps students practice expressing regrets about a bad day out. In two groups, students start by completing 'I wish' and 'If only' sentences about places they visited during a terrible day out, using the past perfect forms of the verbs shown. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns asking their partner about their regrets for each place they went to, e.g. 'What are your regrets about the first place you visited?' After hearing the regrets, the other student guesses the place their partner visited and writes it down, without saying anything. When the pairs have finished, elicit the correct answers from the class. The pair with the most correct answers wins the game.
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If Only You'd Written the Same

Upper-intermediate (B2) 35 minutes
ESL past regrets game using I wish, If only and I'd rather for upper-intermediate B2: sentence completion, guessing, group work

ESL Past Regrets Game - Grammar: Sentence Completion, Guessing - Group Work

In this past regrets game, students practice expressing past regrets and preferences with 'I wish', 'If only', and 'I'd rather' + past perfect by trying to match a teammate's sentence endings. The aim of the game is for the students to complete...

ESL Past Regrets Game - Grammar: Sentence Completion, Guessing - Group Work In this past regrets game, students practice expressing past regrets and preferences with 'I wish', 'If only', and 'I'd rather' + past perfect by trying to match a teammate's sentence endings. The aim of the game is for the students to complete the 'I wish', 'If only', or 'I'd rather' sentences on their worksheet in the same way as a teammate. One student from each team comes and sits at the front of the class. You read out the first item from the caller's sheet using the word 'blank' for the missing ending, e.g. 'I didn't know you were coming over today. I'd rather you BLANK.' Students then secretly complete the corresponding sentence on their worksheet with their own ideas, e.g. 'I'd rather you had told me earlier.' When everyone has written an answer, the team members take turns reading their sentences. The student at the front then reveals their answer. Award one point to a team for each student whose answer exactly matches their own teammate at the front. Two new students then come up to the front. You read out the second item, and so on. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.
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That's Annoying!

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL I wish/If only game for B1: role-play expressing annoyance, using situation and action cards

ESL I wish If only Game - Speaking: Role-Play, Forming Sentences - Pair Work

In this enjoyable 'I wish' and 'If only' game, game, students perform short role-plays using 'I wish' with 'would' or 'wouldn't' and 'If only' with the past simple to express annoyance. In pairs, students take turns picking up a situation card, telling their...

ESL I wish If only Game - Speaking: Role-Play, Forming Sentences from Prompts - Pair Work In this enjoyable 'I wish' and 'If only' game, game, students perform short role-plays using 'I wish' with 'would' or 'wouldn't' and 'If only' with the past simple to express annoyance. In pairs, students take turns picking up a situation card, telling their partner the location and their role, and performing the action or saying the line on the card. Their partner watches the action or listens to the situation, takes on the role of the person on the card, and expresses annoyance at the reader's action using 'I wish' + 'would' or 'wouldn't' and 'If only' + past simple. If the student makes a suitable 'I wish' or 'If only' sentence expressing annoyance, they win and keep the card. The student with the most cards wins the game.
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Wishful Thinking

Upper-intermediate (B2) 25 minutes
ESL I wish/If only game for B2: writing past regrets and guessing situations in group and pair work

ESL I wish If only Game - Grammar and Writing: Sentence Completion, Guessing - Group and Pair Work

In this creative 'I wish' and 'If only' game, students write past regrets for different situations and read them to a partner, who tries to guess the original situation. First, in two groups, students read...

ESL I wish If only Game - Grammar and Writing: Sentence Completion, Guessing - Group and Pair Work In this creative 'I wish' and 'If only' game, students write past regrets for different situations and read them to a partner, who tries to guess the original situation. First, in two groups, students read each situation, e.g. 'You have failed your final exam.' Students then complete 'I wish' and 'If only' statements with corresponding past regrets, e.g. 'I wish I had studied more. If only I had paid more attention in class. I wish the questions had been easier.' Students are not allowed to use the key words from the prompt in their statements. Next, students pair up with someone from the other group and take turns reading each set of regrets to their partner, who has three chances to guess the situation. For each correct guess, students put a tick. The student with the most correct guesses at the end of the game wins.
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Understanding I Wish and If Only

'I wish' and 'if only' are used to express wishes, regrets, and annoyance in English, and both phrases introduce a hypothetical idea that differs from reality. To express a present wish, use the past simple after either phrase, as in 'I wish I had more time'; to express a past regret, use the past perfect, as in 'If only I had studied harder'; and to express annoyance at another person's behavior, use 'would' or 'wouldn't', as in 'I wish you wouldn't leave your shoes in the hall'. A student who uses the present simple instead, writing 'I wish I have more time', signals immediately that the hypothetical shift has not been understood.

This page covers 'I wish' and 'if only' at B1 and B2 levels, with nine activities including worksheets, a card game, a role-play activity, a collaborative writing game, and a guessing game, plus one free download.

The following table shows the main patterns for 'I wish' and 'if only' across all four uses at a glance.

UsePatternExample
Present wish (different from current reality) I wish/If only + past simple 'I wish I lived closer to work.'
Past regret (cannot be changed) I wish/If only + past perfect 'If only I had saved more money.'
Annoyance at another person's habit I wish + subject + would/wouldn't 'I wish he wouldn't talk so loudly.'
Wish for self-change I wish + subject + could 'I wish I could play the guitar.'

When to Use I Wish and If Only

Imagining an Alternative Present: Use 'I wish' or 'if only' with the past simple when the speaker wants to describe a present situation they would like to be different, as in 'I wish I had a bigger apartment.' The situation exists now, but the speaker imagines a different version of it.

Reflecting on a Missed Opportunity: Use 'I wish' or 'if only' with the past perfect when the speaker regrets something that happened or did not happen in the past, as in 'If only I had applied for that job.' The moment has passed and cannot be changed.

Offering Sympathy in Response to Bad News: When a speaker hears that something went wrong for someone else, they can use 'if only' with the past perfect to empathize, as in 'If only you had told me sooner, I could have helped.' This form signals shared regret and is common in both spoken and written English.

3-Step Framework for Teaching I Wish and If Only

1. Introduce the Pattern with a Worksheet: Start with a structured worksheet that covers both core patterns side by side. Students complete gap-fills using the past simple for present wishes and the past participle for past regrets, then sort sentences into the correct category and rewrite them using 'I wish' or 'If only'. The final task asks students to write their own wishes and regrets and discuss them with a partner, moving from controlled accuracy into freer personal production.

2. Extend to Past Regrets with a Writing Game: Move to a team game built around the past perfect. Read a health problem aloud to the class, such as 'I've got a toothache,' and give teams two minutes to write as many 'I wish' and 'if only' sentences using the past perfect as they can, for example 'I wish I hadn't eaten so many sweets' or 'If only I had gone to the dentist more often.' Teams then swap papers and mark each other's answers, scoring one point for each grammatically correct and appropriate regret. The competitive element keeps students focused while the time pressure drives fluency.

3. Push to Spontaneous Production with a Role-Play: Round off with a speaking game that tests whether students can produce the annoyance forms in real time. Students pick up a situation card, tell their partner the location and their role, and perform the action or say the line on the card. Their partner then responds in role, expressing annoyance using 'I wish you would' or 'I wish you wouldn't' and 'If only' with the past simple. Because the response must come spontaneously, this step reveals quickly whether students have internalized the forms or are still reaching for rules.

Common Mistakes with I Wish and If Only

Using the Present Simple Instead of the Past Simple for a Present Wish: Students often forget that a present wish requires a past simple verb form, not a present simple one. Wrong: 'I wish I work from home.' Correct: 'I wish I worked from home.'

Using the Past Simple Instead of the Past Perfect for a Past Regret: Students often use the past simple where the past perfect is required when expressing regret about a past event. Wrong: 'I wish I studied harder for the exam.' Correct: 'I wish I had studied harder for the exam.'

Common Questions About Teaching I Wish and If Only

What is a good game for practicing 'I wish' and 'if only' at B1 level?

An engaging game at B1 level gives students a clear win condition tied to accuracy. In the game Oh Dear!, students take turns turning over one problem card and one wish/regret card. If the cards match, the student reads out an 'I wish' or 'If only' sentence, and if their partner agrees it is correct, they keep both cards.

What is an interesting activity for practicing 'I wish' and 'if only'?

A creative activity for B2 puts writing before communication. In the game Wishful Thinking, students read a situation and write 'I wish' and 'if only' sentences about it, without using any key words from the prompt. A partner then reads the regrets and tries to guess the original situation, which pushes students to produce precise sentences in the past perfect.

What is a free worksheet for introducing 'I wish' and 'if only' to B1 students?

The free 'I wish / If only' worksheet is a simple starting point for B1 students. It opens with gap-fills and sentence rewrites using the past simple for present wishes, then moves to past perfect completion tasks for past regrets. Students finish by reading ten statements and deciding whether each one expresses a present wish or a past regret.

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