EXPRESSING REGRETS AND SYMPATHY | Effective Communication

Expressing Regrets

Regret is defined as a feeling of sadness over something you did or did not do. Many different structures can be used to express regret in English. Here are a few examples.

Wish / If Only

If only or I wish can be used to express regret.

Formula:

I wish / if only + Past perfect

Sentence Examples:

1. I wish I had offered more help to my grandmother.
2. I wish I had given more time to my daughter
3. If only I had eaten vegetables and fruits.
4. If only I had studied this subject.
5. If only my brother had gone to town this morning

A conditional sentence type 3 can also be used to express regret.

Formula:

If + past perfect + would + have + past participle

Sentence Examples:

1. If I had offered more help to my grandmother, I would have seen her now.
2. If I had given more time to my daughter, I wouldn’t have cried now.
3. If I had eaten vegetables and fruits, I wouldn’t have gotten sick now.
4. If I had studied this subject, I would have surely passed it.
5. If my brother had gone to town this morning, he would have gotten the supplies,

Should Have

Regret may also be expressed by using a modal should:

Formula:

Should have + Past Participle

Sentence Examples:

1. I should have woken up early in the morning for school.
2. She should have eaten the fruits I bought for her.
3. My mother should have gotten the money I transferred to her.
4. I should have taken my sister to the carnival this afternoon.

I Regret…

You can express regret by using:

Formula:

regret + Verb + ing

regret + Noun

Sentence Examples:

1. She doesn’t regret bringing her baby to the hospital
2. I regret the words I didn’t say to my mother when she was still with me.
3. I don’t regret putting my food in storage.

Expressing Sympathy

The purpose of expressing sympathy is to express your sympathy and concern for the bereaved. You can express how much you will miss the deceased or share a happy memory. While it may be difficult to know what to say to someone who has lost a loved one, the most important message to convey is that you care about the bereaved person and are available to offer support.

These are the most common comforting phrases to express sympathy:

“My condolences.”

 “I’m sorry for your loss.”

 “You’re in my thoughts/I’m thinking of you.”

 “S/he was a wonderful person.”

“I will miss him/her.”

 “This must be so hard for you.”

When a dear one has departed, you can extend your condolences with kind words. You may feel that words are hollow and don’t do much to alleviate sorrow. However, your support can help the grieving family gain strength. If words seem empty, back them up with generous acts. Perhaps you could offer some assistance to the family. Or maybe they would appreciate your involvement in the funeral arrangements. You could even stay back after the ceremony to help the family get back to routine life.

Always remember, be kind in actions and in words.

 

 

 

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