the Language functions


Wishes & regrets

Wishes

I wish Ahmed would listen to my advice.
I wish I owned a Jaguar.
I’d love to be rich.
I wish I could ride a horse.
I dream of travelling abroad.
My goal is to get a PHD in Literature.

Regrets

I wish I’d joined the AUC, but I didn’t.
If only I could speak French, but I can’t.
Ahmed would really like to be able to drive, but he can’t.
I’m sorry I had a quarrel with my husband.
I’m disappointed that I didn’t get the job.
I regret ignoring my father’s advice. (formal)


Feeling sorry for somebody

I wish I’d joined the faculty of Alson, but I didn’t.
I had a quarrel with my husband.
Ahmed had lost all his money
What a pity!
I’m sorry to hear that.
Oh, dear! , Poor Ahmed

Exclamations



*For good news

Good heavens / wow! Gosh! My goodness!a
How wonderful / amazing! / fantastic.a
What a great / brilliant idea!a
Congratulations! Well done

*For bad news

Oh, no!I’m so sorry
How dreadful! / horrible! / awful!a
What bad news!a
What a shock! What a terrible thing to happen

Asking someone for their opinion

What do you think of my car? a
Do you think the play was interesting? a
Do you think that ------ ? a
What would you say about ------?a


Giving your opinion

I think the play was interesting.a
I believe the exercise is rather difficult.a
In my opinion, the matter is exciting.a
As far as I’m concerned, it’s boring.a
If you ask me ------. a
I’d say ---------.a


Agreeing

I think so, too.a
You’re absolutely right. a
I couldn’t agree more.a


You’re not sure

I agree with you up to a point, but ……a
I’m not sure about that. a
From where I stand, ……a
As I see it, ……a


Disagreeing

I disagree. a
I don’t agree with that. a
I’m afraid I can’t agree with you on that point.a