Intermediate wishes and regrets. 45 questions on wish + Past Perfect, I'd rather, and it's time.
What this test covers
- Wish + Past Perfect (Past Regrets)
- I'd Rather & I'd Sooner
- It's Time & It's High Time
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All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1I wish I ___ that movie; it was incredibly boring.
Answer: A. hadn't watched
The phrase 'it was incredibly boring' sets the context in the past. To express a regret about a past event, we use 'wish' followed by the Past Perfect (had/hadn't + past form). Using the Past Simple 'didn't watch' would refer to a present situation, which doesn't fit here.
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Q2If only we ___ the map before we left, we wouldn't be lost now.
Answer: B. had consulted
The clause 'before we left' indicates a past action. 'If only' follows the same rules as 'wish.' To express regret about a past action that did not happen, we use the Past Perfect (had consulted). Choice 'would consult' is for future intentions or habits, and 'consulting' cannot follow the subject 'we' as a main verb.
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Q3I wish I ___ more time to finish my project last week.
Answer: C. had had
The time marker 'last week' points to a past regret. We use the Past Perfect (had + past form) to express a wish about the past. In 'had had', the first 'had' is the helping word and the second 'had' is the past form of 'have'. The Past Simple 'had' would incorrectly imply a present wish.
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Q4She wishes she ___ her sister more often when she lived in London.
Answer: C. had visited
The context 'when she lived in London' shows the situation happened in the past. To express a wish or regret about a past state, we use 'wish' + Past Perfect (had visited). 'Visited' (Past Simple) is used for present wishes, and 'has visited' (Present Perfect) is never used after 'wish'.
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Q5If only he ___ so much noise at the party, the neighbors wouldn't have complained.
Answer: A. hadn't made
The second part of the sentence ('wouldn't have complained') is a third conditional structure referring to the past. Therefore, the 'If only' clause must use the Past Perfect (hadn't made) to express regret about that past event. 'Didn't made' is grammatically incorrect, and 'wouldn't make' refers to future behavior.
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Q6I wish I ___ the train instead of driving; the traffic was terrible.
Answer: D. had taken
The use of the Past Simple 'was' in the second clause indicates the situation is in the past. For past regrets, we use 'wish' + Past Perfect (had taken). 'Took' would suggest a present wish (a desire for things to be different now), which doesn't fit the context of the finished drive.
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Q7I wish I ___ a better job when I had the chance.
Answer: D. had chosen
The phrase 'when I had the chance' refers to a specific finished moment in the past. To express regret about a past decision, we use the Past Perfect (had chosen). The Past Simple 'chose' is used for wishes about the present, while 'would choose' is used for future intentions or annoying habits.
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Q8If only I ___ you were coming, I would have baked a cake.
Answer: B. had known
The structure 'would have baked' is the result clause of a third conditional, showing that the situation happened in the past. To express a past regret with 'If only', we use the Past Perfect (had known). 'Known' is a verb form that needs a helping word like 'had' to function here.
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Q9Identify the error: I wish I would have told you the truth yesterday.
Answer: D. I wish I had told you the truth.
In standard English, we do not use 'would have' immediately after 'wish' to express a past regret. Instead, we use the Past Perfect (had told). The word 'yesterday' confirms this is a past regret. Choice 'I wish I told' uses the Past Simple, which is for present situations.
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Q10Identify the error: If only he would have locked the door, we wouldn't have been robbed.
Answer: A. If only he had locked the door, we wouldn't have been robbed.
Similar to 'wish', we use the Past Perfect (had locked) after 'If only' to express regret about a past event. The structure 'would have locked' is incorrect within the 'if' or 'if only' clause. The context 'wouldn't have been robbed' confirms we are looking back at a past mistake.
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Q11I wish I ___ more confident when speaking in public.
Answer: D. were
This sentence refers to a present situation or a general state. To express a wish for a different present reality, we use 'wish' + Past Simple. For the verb 'to be', 'were' is preferred for all subjects in formal English (the subjunctive mood). 'Had been' would imply a regret about a specific past event.
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Q12I wish I ___ speak French fluently.
Answer: C. could
To express a wish for a present ability or possibility, we use 'wish' + 'could' + base verb. 'Can' is incorrect because we need a past form to show the situation is hypothetical. 'Had been able to' is the Past Perfect form, which would be used for a past regret rather than a present desire.
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Q13I wish it ___ raining so we could go outside.
Answer: D. stopped
We use 'wish' + Past Simple to talk about a present situation we want to be different. The use of 'could go' in the second clause shows we are talking about the present or future. 'Had stopped' would refer to a past event that is already over, which doesn't match the immediate desire to go outside.
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Q14I wish I ___ live closer to my office.
Answer: C. could
'Could' is used with 'wish' to express a desire for a present ability or a change in circumstances that is currently not possible. 'Had lived' would be a regret about the past. 'Live' is present tense and cannot be used after 'wish' for a hypothetical desire.
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Q15I wish I ___ a car; it would make commuting easier.
Answer: A. had
The second clause 'it would make' shows we are talking about a present or general situation. To express a wish for a different present reality (possessing a car), we use the Past Simple (had). 'Had had' is the Past Perfect, which is used only for past regrets.
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Q16I wish you ___ stop tapping your pen; it's very distracting.
Answer: D. would
We use 'wish' + 'would' + base verb to express annoyance or a desire for someone else to change their behavior. The phrase 'it's very distracting' highlights that the speaker is annoyed by a current action. We generally don't use 'would' for our own actions with 'wish'.
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Q17I wish it ___ stop raining so we could play tennis.
Answer: B. would
'Wish' + 'would' is used when we want a situation to change or an event to happen, often expressing impatience. While 'stopped' (Past Simple) expresses a desire for a different present state, 'would stop' emphasizes the speaker's desire for the action of raining to cease.
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Q18I wish you ___ listen when I am talking to you.
Answer: A. would
When we want to express annoyance about someone's behavior or their refusal to do something, we use 'wish' + 'would' + base verb. The present continuous 'am talking' shows this is a current, repeated frustration with the listener's behavior.
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Q19I wish the neighbors ___ keep their dog quiet at night.
Answer: B. would
This expresses a desire for a change in someone else's behavior. Using 'wish' + 'would' indicates that the speaker finds the current situation (the noisy dog) annoying and wants the neighbors to take action. 'Could' would focus on their ability, whereas 'would' focuses on their willingness.
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Q20I wish you ___ stop interrupting me during meetings.
Answer: D. would
To complain about a persistent, annoying habit of another person, the standard structure is 'wish' + 'someone' + 'would'. 'Did' and 'had' do not fit the helping word requirement for this specific construction of expressing frustration with someone's actions.
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Q21If only I ___ more money, I would travel the world.
Answer: D. had
The second clause 'I would travel' indicates a second conditional structure (hypothetical present). After 'If only', we use the Past Simple (had) to express a wish for a different present reality. 'Had had' would be used for a past regret (e.g., 'If only I had had more money last year').
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Q22If only we ___ live in a warmer climate.
Answer: D. could
'If only' + 'could' is used to express a wish for a present ability or a change in a situation that we cannot currently control. 'Did' would require another verb (e.g., 'If only we did live...'), and 'would' is usually reserved for expressing annoyance at others.
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Q23If only he ___ here right now to help us.
Answer: A. were
The phrase 'right now' indicates a present wish. To express a hypothetical present state with the verb 'to be', we use the Past Simple form 'were' (the subjunctive). While 'was' is common in casual speech, 'were' is the standard choice for all persons in formal grammar.
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Q24If only I ___ know the answer to this question.
Answer: D. did
In this context, 'did' is used as a Past Simple auxiliary to express an emphatic wish about the present. While 'If only I knew' is more common, 'did know' carries the same meaning with added emphasis. 'Would' is not used with 'if only' for one's own actions. 'Had' would require a past form ('had known') to express a past regret. 'Have know' is not a standard construction.
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Q25If only it ___ not so cold today.
Answer: D. were
To express a wish about a present state (the temperature today), we use 'If only' + Past Simple. For the verb 'to be', 'were' is the preferred form for hypothetical situations (the subjunctive). 'Had been' would refer to a past day, not 'today'.
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Q26If only I ___ more time to read books.
Answer: A. had
This expresses a wish for a different present situation. We use the Past Simple (had) after 'If only' to talk about things we want to be different now. 'Have' is the present tense and 'had had' is the Past Perfect used for past regrets.
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Q27If only she ___ speak English better.
Answer: B. could
We use 'could' after 'If only' to express a wish regarding an ability or possibility in the present. It functions as the past form of 'can'. 'Would' would imply she is refusing to speak better, and 'had' would require the past form 'spoken'.
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Q28If only we ___ a bigger house.
Answer: C. had
This is a wish about a present state of possession. We use 'If only' + Past Simple (had) to express that the current reality (not having a big house) is not what we want. 'Had had' refers to the past, and 'have' is the present tense.
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Q29If only I ___ not so tired all the time.
Answer: A. were
The phrase 'all the time' refers to a current, general state. To express a wish for a different present state with the verb 'to be', we use the Past Simple form 'were' (the subjunctive). 'Am' is factual, and 'had been' is for past regrets.
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Q30If only you ___ come with us to the party next Saturday.
Answer: B. could
'Could' is used after 'If only' to express a wish about a present or future ability or possibility. 'Next Saturday' confirms this is a future event, making 'could' the correct choice. 'Had' is used for past regrets and would require the past form 'come' (e.g., 'If only you had come...'). 'Will' and 'did' are not used in 'If only' wish structures.
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Q31I'd rather ___ at home tonight; I'm exhausted.
Answer: A. stay
When the subject of 'would rather' is the same as the subject of the following verb (I ... stay), we use the base form of the verb without 'to'. 'Stayed' (Past Simple) is only used when the subject changes (e.g., 'I'd rather you stayed').
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Q32I'd rather ___ a coffee than a tea.
Answer: D. have
For personal preferences where the subject doesn't change, we use 'would rather' + base verb (base verb). 'To have' is incorrect because 'rather' is followed by the infinitive without 'to'. 'Had' would be used if the subject was different (e.g., 'I'd rather you had...').
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Q33I'd rather ___ nothing about the incident.
Answer: A. say
When expressing our own preference, we use 'I'd rather' + the base form of the verb (say). 'Said' is Past Simple and is only used if we are talking about someone else's actions (e.g., 'I'd rather you said nothing').
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Q34I'd rather ___ for a walk than watch TV.
Answer: D. go
'I'd rather' is followed by the base verb (the base verb 'go') when the person expressing the preference is also the one performing the action. 'Went' is incorrect here as it would be used for a different subject (e.g., 'I'd rather he went').
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Q35I'd rather ___ the dishes right now.
Answer: A. not do
To form a negative preference for ourselves, we use 'would rather' + 'not' + base verb (not do). 'Didn't do' is Past Simple and would be used if the speaker wanted someone else not to do the dishes (e.g., 'I'd rather you didn't do...').
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Q36I'd rather you ___ your music down; I'm trying to work.
Answer: C. turned
When the subject of 'would rather' is different from the subject of the following verb (I ... you), we use the Past Simple (turned) to express a present or future preference. This is the same pattern used with 'wish' for present desires.
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Q37I'd rather you ___ anything to the manager about this.
Answer: D. didn't say
When we express a preference about another person's actions, we use the Past Simple. To make this negative, we use 'didn't' + base verb. 'Not say' would only be used if the subject were the same as the speaker (e.g., 'I'd rather not say anything').
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Q38I'd rather you ___ here by 8:00 AM tomorrow.
Answer: D. were
Even though the sentence refers to the future ('tomorrow'), when the subject changes after 'would rather' (I ... you), we use the Past Simple. For the verb 'to be', 'were' is the standard form used for these hypothetical preferences.
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Q39I'd rather you ___ your shoes on the carpet.
Answer: B. didn't put
This expresses a preference about someone else's behavior. In the structure (Subject 1 + would rather + Subject 2), we use the Past Simple. To make the Past Simple negative, we use 'didn't' + the base verb 'put'.
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Q40I'd rather we ___ the truth immediately.
Answer: A. told
When 'would rather' is followed by a new subject ('we'), we use the Past Simple (told) to express what we want to happen in the present or future. The base form 'tell' is only used if there is no second subject.
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Q41It's time you ___ to bed; you have school tomorrow.
Answer: C. went
After the expression 'It's time' (or 'It's high time'), we use the Past Simple (went) to say that something should be happening now or should have already happened. This is an idiomatic structure used to express urgency or give advice.
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Q42It's high time the company ___ its employees better.
Answer: B. treated
'It's high time' is a stronger version of 'It's time.' Both are followed by a subject and a verb in the Past Simple (treated) to indicate that an action is overdue. Even though the meaning is present, the grammar requires the past tense form.
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Q43It's time we ___ this project finished.
Answer: A. got
The construction 'It's time' + subject + Past Simple is used to express that an action is overdue. 'Got' is the Past Simple of 'get'. Using the base form 'get' or 'should get' is a common mistake; this specific idiom always uses the past form.
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Q44It's high time you ___ studying.
Answer: C. started
'It's high time' emphasizes that something is urgent and should have happened already. Following the rule for this expression, we use the Past Simple (started) after the subject 'you' to show that the action is overdue.
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Q45It's time we ___ a break, don't you agree?
Answer: B. took
The expression 'It's time' is followed by a subject and a verb in the Past Simple (took). This structure suggests that the action is necessary right now. Using 'take' or 'should take' does not follow the standard grammatical pattern for this idiomatic phrase.
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