Theme 5: Back to the Past

Unit Vocabulary

Wishes & Regrets

Word	Type	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example
regret	v./n.	/rɪˈɡret/	pişman olmak, pişmanlık	I regret not studying harder in high school.
wish	v./n.	/wɪʃ/	dilemek, dilek	I wish I had studied medicine instead.
if only	phr.	—	keşke	If only I had listened to my parents' advice!
hindsight	n.	/ˈhaɪndsaɪt/	geriye bakış, sonradan anlaşılan	In hindsight, I should have saved more money.
blame	v./n.	/bleɪm/	suçlamak, suç	Don't blame yourself for the past mistakes.
forgive	v.	/fərˈɡɪv/	affetmek	I wish I had forgiven my friend earlier.
apologize	v.	/əˈpɒlədʒaɪz/	özür dilemek	He should have apologized for his behaviour.
criticise	v.	/ˈkrɪtɪsaɪz/	eleştirmek	I wish I hadn’t criticised her so harshly.
questionable	adj.	/ˈkwestʃənəbl/	şüpheli, tartışılır	His decision to quit school was highly questionable.

Life Decisions & Consequences

Word	Type	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example
consequence	n.	/ˈkɒnsɪkwəns/	sonuç	Every action has its consequences.
opportunity	n.	/ˌɒpəˈtjuːnəti/	fırsat	If I had taken that opportunity, my life would have been different.
outcome	n.	/ˈaʊtkʌm/	sonuç, netice	The outcome could have been much better.
mistake	n.	/mɪˈsteɪk/	hata	If he hadn't made that mistake, he would have succeeded.
decision	n.	/dɪˈsɪʒən/	karar	That was a terrible decision. I wish I hadn't made it.
fail	v.	/feɪl/	başarısız olmak	If I had studied harder, I wouldn't have failed the exam.
succeed	v.	/səkˈsiːd/	başarmak	She could have succeeded if she had tried harder.
ambitious	adj.	/æmˈbɪʃəs/	hırslı, azimli	If she had been more ambitious, she would have applied for that job.
dedicate	v.	/ˈdedɪkeɪt/	adamak, adanmak	He dedicated his entire life to helping others.
fulfilling	adj.	/fʊlˈfɪlɪŋ/	tatmin edici, doyurucu	I wish I had chosen a more fulfilling career path.
priority	n.	/praɪˈɒrəti/	öncelik	Education should have been my top priority back then.
in hand	idiom	—	kontrol altında, elde	If I had kept everything in hand, the project wouldn’t have failed.
keep (someone) posted	idiom	—	birini bilgilendirmek, haberdar tutmak	Please keep me posted about any changes to the plan.
put on	phV	/pʊt ɒn/	giymek, takmak	If only I had put on a warmer coat before going out.
turn up	phV	/tɜːn ʌp/	ortaya çıkmak, gelmek	If he had turned up on time, he wouldn’t have missed the flight.

Emotions & Reflections

Word	Type	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example
disappointment	n.	/ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntmənt/	hayal kırıklığı	It was a huge disappointment for all of us.
guilt	n.	/ɡɪlt/	suçluluk	He felt deep guilt for not helping his friend.
relief	n.	/rɪˈliːf/	rahatlama	What a relief that the accident wasn't serious!
grateful	adj.	/ˈɡreɪtfəl/	minnettar	I'm grateful that I learned from my mistakes.
frustrated	adj.	/frʌˈstreɪtɪd/	hayal kırıklığına uğramış	She was frustrated because she had missed the deadline.
fortunate	adj.	/ˈfɔːrtʃənət/	şanslı	We were fortunate that nobody was hurt in the accident.
embrace	v.	/ɪmˈbreɪs/	kucaklamak, benimsemek	I wish I had embraced every opportunity that came my way.
nap	v.	/næp/	kestirmek, şekerleme yapmak	I shouldn’t have napped so long; I missed the whole afternoon.
ramble	v.	/ˈræmbl/	başıboş dolaşmak, saçmalamak	We used to ramble through the countryside when we were children.

Third Conditional — If + Past Perfect, would/could have + V3

If + Subject + had + V3, Subject + would/could/might have + V3

If Clause (condition)	Main Clause (result)
If I had studied harder,	I would have passed the exam.
If she had taken the job,	she could have earned more money.
If they had left earlier,	they might have caught the train.

If + Subject + had not (hadn’t) + V3, Subject + wouldn’t/couldn’t have + V3

If Clause (negative)	Main Clause (negative)
If he hadn’t been addicted to alcohol,	he wouldn’t have lost his family.
If I hadn’t missed the bus,	I wouldn’t have been late.

What would + Subject + have + V3 + if + Subject + had + V3?

Q: What would you have done if you had won the lottery?

A: I would have travelled around the world.

Q: Would you have accepted the offer if they had called you?

A: Yes, I would have. / No, I wouldn’t have.

When do we use the Third Conditional?

For imaginary / unreal situations in the past — things that did NOT happen

Geçmişte gerçekleşmemiş hayali durumlar için kullanılır.

If I had been more hardworking, I could have studied at a better university.

Daha çalışkan olsaydım, daha iyi bir üniversitede okuyabilirdim.

Wish + Past Perfect — I wish I had…

Subject + wish(es) + Subject + had + V3 (past participle)

Subject	Wish Clause	Meaning
I wish	I had studied harder.	Keşke daha çok çalışsaydım.
She wishes	she had seen Dr. Green.	Keşke Dr. Green’i görseydi.
We wish	we had saved more money.	Keşke daha çok para biriktirseydik.

Subject + wish(es) + Subject + hadn’t + V3

Subject	Negative Wish	Meaning
I wish	I hadn’t had an accident.	Keşke kaza geçirmeseydim.
He wishes	he hadn’t moved to another city.	Keşke başka şehre taşınmasaydı.

Wish vs. Third Conditional

Wish + Past Perfect = expressing regret about the past

Third Conditional = imagining a different result in the past

I wish I had helped my friend study. (= pişmanlık)

If I had helped him, he would have passed. (= farklı sonuç)

Contraction of had / would — I’d

Contraction	Full Form	How to tell?	Example
I’d	I had	followed by V3 (past participle)	I’d finished dinner. (= I had finished)
I’d	I would	followed by base verb (V1)	I’d travel the world. (= I would travel)

More Examples

She’d left before I arrived. She had left (V3)

She’d love to visit Paris. She would love (V1)

If he’d studied harder, he’d have passed.

If he had studied harder, he would have passed.

Short	Full	Example
hadn’t	had not	I hadn’t seen her before. / I wish I hadn’t said that.
wouldn’t	would not	I wouldn’t have gone there. / She wouldn’t have agreed.