My secret desire

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My secret desire
Exercise 1
Look at the picture. What is everybody thinking? Complete the sentences.
Carla:

I wish .................. was .................. rock star.

Jim:

I wish ..................would .................. me.

Maria:

I wish my .................. would give me .................. ..................

Tom:

I wish .................. .................. a millionaire.

Teacher:

I wish .................. .................. on holiday.

Exercise 2
We can divide these wishes into two types. The first type of wish shows regret
about a situation and a wish that it was different. The second type of wish shows a
desire for an action to take place - for somebody else to do something.
Regret about a situation
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
I wish + subject + .................................
Desire for an action by someone else
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
I wish + subject + .................................. + ................................

Exercise 3
Choose the correct word/s to fill the gaps.
1. Stavros is overweight. I wish he ......................... on a diet. a) would go b) went
2. I hate my hair. I wish I ......................... curly hair. a) would have b) had
3. My salary is very low. I wish I ......................... more. a) would earn b) earned
4. I smoke too much! I wish I ......................... such a heavy smoker. a) wouldn't be
b) wasn't
5. I'm fed up with that car. I wish somebody ......................... it. a) would steal b) stole
6. Now that I'm 60 I sometimes wish I ......................... younger. a) would be b) was
7. I often wish English grammar ......................... easier. a) would be b) was
8. Jenny wears awful clothes. I wish she ......................... something nicer. a) would buy
b) bought
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My secret desire
Exercise 4
What would you say in these situations? Write sentences beginning I wish ...
You think you are too short. I wish I was taller.
You think John should get his hair cut. I wish John would get his hair cut.
a) You think the government should reduce taxes.
..................................................................................................................................................
b) You are a student but you would rather be a teacher.
..................................................................................................................................................
c) You are a secretary but you would like to be a film director.
..................................................................................................................................................
d) You believe that rich countries ought to help poor ones.
..................................................................................................................................................
e) You want to learn to drive. Your uncle is a driving instructor.
..................................................................................................................................................
f) Your English isn't as good as you would like it to be.
..................................................................................................................................................

Exercise 5
Complete the sentences using the verbs in brackets.
a) My parents are always criticising my clothes. I wish they (stop) .............................
doing it.
b) I wish I (be) .......................... more musical. I can't play any instruments.
c) Your father is so nice. I wish he (be) .................................. my father too.
d) Women are not treated equally in this country. I wish the government
(do) ............................. something about it.
e) I wish my son (get) .................................... a haircut. He looks so untidy.
f)

I hate living in the city. I wish I (live) ............................. in the country.

g) Chemistry lessons are so boring. I wish the teacher (make) ............................. them
more interesting.
h) I'm so lonely. I wish I (have) ............................... more friends.
i)

I can never see anything in a crowd. I wish I (be) .............................. taller.

j)

Hamburgers again! I wish you (cook) ........................... something different for a

change!

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My secret desire
Exercise 6
Game instructions
ages 8+

the game that exposes people's

innermost desires! But can you guess
whose desires they are???

1) Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. On one side write three sentences:
a) What you would secretly like to be.
b) Something about yourself that you secretly wish was different.
c) Something you would like somebody else to do.
2) Then write Who am I? underneath your sentences.
Look at the example:
a) I wish I was a
football star.
b) I wish I had bigger
muscles.
c) I wish my teacher
would give us less
homework.
Who am I?

3) Then fold your paper in half and hand it to the teacher. The papers will be mixed up
and handed out again.
4) When you receive your new piece of paper, try to guess who has written it and write his
or her name on the other side, then hand it back to your teacher.
5) Your teacher will then hand each piece of paper to the person whose name is written on
the back.
6) Each person must read out the sentences on the paper they have been given and the
rest of the class decides whether these are your real secret desires or not.

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My secret desire
TEACHERS NOTES & KEY
Aim: To distinguish between and practise the use of wish + past simple to express regret about a situation
and that you want it to be different, and the use of wish + would + infinitive to show you want someone or
something else to change a present situation.
Topic: Private desires, wishes and regrets.
Lesson timings: Exercises 12: 10 minutes; Exercises 34: 15 minutes; Exercise 5: 15 minutes; Exercise 6:
10 minutes; Total: 50 minutes.
Exercises 12
Allow five minutes for each exercise.
Exercise 1
Carla: I wish I was a rock star.
Jim: I wish Carla would marry me.
Maria: I wish my teacher would give me a grade A.
Exercise 2
Regret about a situation
I wish I was a rock star.
I wish I was a millionaire.
I wish I was on holiday.
I wish + subject + past simple

Tom: I wish I was a millionaire.

Teacher: I wish I was on holiday.

Desire for an action by someone else.

I wish Carla would marry me.
I wish my teacher would give me a grade A.
I wish + subject + would + infinitive

Check that students are clear about the distinction between the two forms with I wish.
You may like to point out the alternative form used to express regret e.g.
I wish I were a rock star.
I wish I were a millionaire.
This has been traditionally taught as the correct form but the use of the past simple (was with all singular
persons) is nowadays more usual in everyday speech.
Exercises 34
Allow six or seven minutes for each exercise.
Exercise 3
1a
2b
3b
4b

5a
6b
7b
8a

Exercise 4
a I wish the government would reduce taxes.
b I wish I was a teacher.
c I wish I was a film director.

d I wish rich countries would help poor ones.

e I wish my uncle would teach me to drive.
f I wish my English was better

Exercise 5
You may like to use this exercise as a test. Allow ten minutes for completion of the exercise and checking.
a would stop
f lived
b was
g would make
c was
h had
d would do
i was
e would get
j would cook
Exercise 6
Allow up to fifteen minutes for the game the amount of time will depend on the size of the class.
Read through the instructions with the class. Follow this procedure:
1 Students write their sentences on pieces of paper.
2 Teacher collects pieces of paper.
3 Teacher jumbles up the papers and hands them out to students.
4 Students guess whose paper they have received and write a name on the back of the paper.
5 Teacher collects pieces of paper again.
6 Teacher hands out each paper to the student whose name appears on the back.
7 Students in turn read out the sentences written on the paper they have been given.
8 Teacher asks class to decide if the paper really belongs to the student reading out the sentences.
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