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Marold Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

Regret + ing?

Sandra regrets not being able to visit her grandmother more often.

My task was to rewrite the sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence above. Those below mentioned sentences are correct answers according to the answer key in the text book.

"Sandra wishes she could visit her grandmother more often.
"Sandra wishes she were able to visit her grandmother more often.
"Sandra wishes she was able to visit her grandmother more often.

What I am asking about is how you perceive the very first sentence above? Do you also see it as a past reference (Sandra regrets not having been able to...) or do you view it as a present reference?

Could you please shed some light on the results of the answer key? Because I do not know why it is mistake to write: "Sandra wishes she had been able to visit her grandmother more often." - which would suggest that she is regretful that she was not able to visit her more often in the past.

Thanks.
  

Top answer

Marold do you view it as a present reference? Yes. " - which would mean that she is regretful that she was not able to visit her grandmother more often in the past.

— RandomGuy

  • Marold do you view it as a present reference?
  • Yes.
  • " - which would mean that she is regretful that she was not able to visit her grandmother more often in the past.
  • Right.
  • None of the other sentences has that meaning.
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4 Answers
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Marolddo you view it as a present reference?
Yes.
Marold… "Sandra wishes she had been able to visit her grandmother more often." - which would mean that she is regretful that she was not able to visit her grandmother more often in the past.
Right. None of the other sentences has that meaning.
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But If I wrote this:

"I regret not telling her the truth." = "I should have told her the truth."

This sentence alone should definitely refer to the past, shouldn't it? Is it the same as "I regret not having told her the truth."?

Thanks a lot.
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Marold"I regret not telling her the truth." = "I should have told her the truth."
This sentence alone should definitely refer to the past, shouldn't it? Is it the same as "I regret not having told her the truth."?
Both of those regrets concern the past.
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