Weekend regrets: expressing past mistakes and advice
1
Think about these questions before listening. Share your ideas with a partner.
- Describe a time when your weekend didn't go as planned. What happened?
- If you could change one decision you made last weekend, what would it be and why?
- What does it mean to 'waste a weekend'? What advice would you give to a friend who feels they wasted theirs?
2
Weekend Regrets
Listen to the dialogue. Notice how the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson are used.
3
Answer these questions in your own words. Support your answers with evidence from the audio recording.
01Why is Marco upset at the beginning of the conversation?
Sample answerHe is upset because he made a silly mistake over the weekend and is 'kicking himself' for it.
02What mistake did Marco make when he bought the jacket?
Sample answerHe got carried away by the online sale and bought the jacket immediately without checking the size.
03How does Emma try to make Marco feel better about the situation?
Sample answerShe suggests that it might be a 'blessing in disguise' because now he can find a jacket that fits him perfectly.
04What does Marco plan to do to fix his mistake?
Sample answerHe plans to go to the shops this weekend to find a new jacket to make up for his online shopping mistake.
4
Key vocabulary
Vocabulary
These expressions will help you communicate more naturally about regrets and learning from mistakes.
Examples
to kick oneself — to be very annoyed with yourself because you did something stupid or missed an opportunity.
Usage note: This is a common, informal idiom. For example: 'I could have kicked myself when I realized I missed the deadline.'
to get carried away — to become so excited or involved in something that you lose control of your actions.
Usage note: Use this to explain why you did too much of something. For example: 'I got carried away at the sale and spent all my money.'
should have known better — a phrase used to admit that you made a mistake that you could have avoided.
Usage note: This is a very common way to express personal regret. For example: 'I should have known better than to eat that spicy curry so late at night.'
a blessing in disguise — something that seems bad or unlucky at first, but results in something good happening later.
Usage note: This idiom helps you talk about the positive side of a negative experience. For example: 'Missing the train was a blessing in disguise because I met an old friend on the next one.'
to make up for something — to do something good to correct a mistake or compensate for a bad situation.
Usage note: This phrasal verb focuses on the solution. For example: 'I forgot her birthday, so I'm taking her to a nice dinner to make up for it.'
5
Complete the sentences with words from the box. One word is extra.
Word bank
01I got away at the party and stayed out much later than I planned.
02In , I probably should have checked the weather before planning a picnic.
03I definitely learned a from that experience; next time, I'll start my homework earlier.
04I feel bad about cancelling our plans. I'll it up to you next weekend, I promise.
05At first I was upset about missing the concert, but it was a in disguise because I avoided the terrible traffic jam.
6
Grammar: Using 'should have' for regrets and advice
Grammar
We use 'should have' and 'shouldn't have' followed by the past participle to talk about the past. It's perfect for expressing regrets about our actions or giving advice about something that has already happened, like a weekend you wish you had spent differently.
Examples
I shouldn't have eaten so much cake at the party on Saturday.
Use 'shouldn't have' to express regret for something you did.
I should have finished my homework on Friday instead of leaving it for Sunday night.
Use 'should have' to talk about a good action that you didn't do.
You look exhausted. You should have gone to bed earlier last night.
We can also use this structure to give advice or criticize someone's past actions.
Key points
- The structure is always: subject + should/shouldn't + have + past participle (e.g. gone, seen, studied).
- This form is only for talking about the past.
- A common mistake is using the simple past instead of the past participle. Say 'I should have done it,' not 'I should have did it.'
7
Correct the mistakes
Read the sentences below. Each one has a mistake related to grammar or vocabulary from the lesson.
Each sentence contains one error. Find and correct it.
01I should have listen to your advice about the party.
Corrected version
I should have listen listened to your advice about the party.
02He is beating himself down over that small mistake.
Corrected version
He is beating himself down up over that small mistake.
03In hinsdight, I would have done things differently.
Corrected version
In hinsdight, hindsight, I would have done things differently.
04I got carry away and spent too much money on Saturday.
Corrected version
I got carry carried away and spent too much money on Saturday.
05Not studying for the test was a missed opportune.
Corrected version
Not studying for the test was a missed opportune. opportunity.
06You didn't should have eaten that whole pizza by yourself.
Corrected version
You didn't should shouldn't have eaten that whole pizza by yourself.
07I want to make up to my friend for being late yesterday.
Corrected version
I want to make it up to my friend for being late yesterday.
8
A weekend mistake
Sometimes our biggest regrets can lead to the best outcomes. Read about one person's experience with a bad weekend decision.
Read the passage below, then answer the comprehension questions.
Last Saturday, I made a decision I immediately regretted. I was walking past an electronics store and saw a huge sale. I got completely carried away and bought a new camera, even though I was saving for a holiday. On Sunday morning, I was kicking myself. I should have known better than to spend that much money without thinking. I definitely shouldn't have even gone into the store. To make up for the lost savings, I decided to pick up some extra shifts at work. It was hard, but something unexpected happened. My boss was so impressed with my hard work that she offered me a promotion. In the end, my expensive mistake turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I learned a valuable lesson about impulse buying, and I'm now in a better position to save for that holiday.
01Why was the author kicking themself on Sunday morning?
Sample answerBecause they had spent a lot of money on a camera instead of saving it for their holiday.
02What did the author do to try and fix the situation?
Sample answerThey decided to work extra shifts to make up for the money they had spent.
03What was the unexpected positive outcome of the author's actions?
Sample answerTheir boss was impressed with their hard work and offered them a promotion.
04What does the phrase 'a blessing in disguise' mean in the context of the story?
Sample answerIt means that the bad decision of buying the camera seemed negative at first, but it led to a very positive result (a promotion).
9
Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.
- Think about a time you got carried away with something, like shopping or a party, and later had to kick yourself. How did you try to make up for it?
- In your culture, is it more common for people to talk openly about their mistakes and regrets, or to keep them private? Which approach do you think is healthier and why?
- Some people believe every mistake is a blessing in disguise because you learn from it. Do you agree? Describe a time you felt you should have known better, but the situation actually led to a good outcome.