B2 - Lesson 8 - THE DISASTER

 

✈️ LESSON 8 — THE DISASTER

Main grammar: I wish / If only + past perfect


1 - Check your vocabulary


 2 — 🧳 TRAVEL PROBLEMS

Vocabulary

Word / phrase

Transcription

Ukrainian

Example sentence

flight delay

/flaɪt dɪˈleɪ/

затримка рейсу

The flight delay lasted nearly four hours.

miss a flight

/mɪs ə flaɪt/

пропустити рейс

We missed our flight because of the traffic.

miss a connection

/mɪs ə kəˈnekʃən/

пропустити пересадку

We missed our connection in Paris.

cancel a flight

/ˈkænsəl ə flaɪt/

скасувати рейс

The airline cancelled our flight.

flight cancellation

/flaɪt ˌkænsəˈleɪʃən/

скасування рейсу

The cancellation caused chaos at the airport.

rebook a flight

/ˌriːˈbʊk ə flaɪt/

перебронювати рейс

They rebooked us on the morning flight.

get stranded

/ɡet ˈstrændɪd/

застрягти

Hundreds of passengers were stranded at the airport.

lose your luggage

/luːz jə ˈlʌɡɪdʒ/

загубити багаж

She lost her luggage on the way to Rome.

delayed luggage

/dɪˈleɪd ˈlʌɡɪdʒ/

затриманий багаж

My delayed luggage arrived the next day.

file a claim

/faɪl ə kleɪm/

подати заяву/претензію

He filed a claim for his lost luggage.

travel insurance

/ˈtrævəl ɪnˌʃʊərəns/

туристична страховка

Luckily, we had travel insurance.

refund

/ˈriːfʌnd/

повернення коштів

The airline offered us a full refund.

compensation

/ˌkɒmpənˈseɪʃən/

компенсація

We asked for compensation for the delay.

alternative flight

/ɔːlˈtɜːnətɪv flaɪt/

альтернативний рейс

They offered us an alternative flight.


3 — ⭐ B2 TRAVEL IDIOMS & COLLOCATIONS

Expression

Transcription

Ukrainian

Example

go according to plan

/ɡəʊ əˈkɔːdɪŋ tə plæn/

йти за планом

Nothing went according to plan.

things go wrong

/θɪŋz ɡəʊ rɒŋ/

щось іде не так

Things went wrong from the beginning.

be in a tight spot

/bi ɪn ə taɪt spɒt/

опинитися у скрутному становищі

We were in a tight spot after missing the connection.

be a nightmare

/bi ə ˈnaɪtmeə/

бути кошмаром

The whole journey was a nightmare.

at the last minute

/ət ðə lɑːst ˈmɪnɪt/

в останню хвилину

We changed our tickets at the last minute.

by the skin of your teeth

/baɪ ðə skɪn əv jə tiːθ/

ледве-ледве

We caught the flight by the skin of our teeth.

miss the boat

/mɪs ðə bəʊt/

втратити шанс

If we don't act now, we'll miss the boat.

back on track

/bæk ɒn træk/

знову за планом

After rebooking, we were finally back on track.

Explain:

miss the boat is often figurative.

“I didn't apply for the job in time. I really missed the boat.”


4 — 📖 STORY: THE DISASTER


The plane didn't take off at 22:45. Or at 23:45. Or midnight.
At 00:30, the passengers were still sitting in the departure lounge.“Technical problems,” the announcement said.

Maya checked her phone.Their connecting flight left in forty-five minutes.
“We're going to miss it.”Daniel tried to stay positive.
“Maybe they'll wait for us.”“Airlines don't wait for passengers.”

At 1:10, they finally boarded the plane.
The flight was short, but by the time they landed, their connecting flight had already departed. Maya and Daniel were stranded at the airport.

Things got worse. Their checked luggage hadn't arrived. Daniel stared at the empty baggage carousel.
“This can't be happening.” Maya looked at him.
“I wish we'd booked a direct flight.” Daniel sighed.
“If only we'd listened to Dad.” “What did Dad say?”
“He told us not to book the cheapest flight.”
Maya laughed.
“That's going to be difficult to explain when we get home.”


5 — 🧠 COMPREHENSION

  1. Why did they miss their connection?
  2. What happened to their luggage?
  3. Why was their father right?
  4. Which decision caused the biggest problem?
  5. What could they have done differently?

Find evidence in the story for:

FACT

PROBLEM

REGRET

SOLUTION


6 — 💭 GRAMMAR: PAST REGRET

This is the central grammar point.

I WISH + PAST PERFECT

We use:

I wish + subject + had + past participle

to talk about something in the past that we regret.

Example

I wish I had booked a direct flight.

Reality:

I didn't book a direct flight.


More examples

I wish I hadn't packed at the last minute.

Reality:

I packed at the last minute.

I wish we had left earlier.

Reality:

We didn't leave earlier.

I wish I had checked the departure time.

Reality:

I didn't check it.


IF ONLY

Exactly the same structure:

If only we had booked a direct flight!

If only I hadn't forgotten my passport!

If only we'd left earlier!

It often sounds more emotional / dramatic.


7 — PRESENT VS PAST

This is an essential B2 distinction.

PRESENT

I wish I had more money.

Meaning:

I don't have enough money now.

PAST

I wish I had booked a cheaper ticket.

Meaning:

I didn't book a cheaper ticket.


Compare

I wish I knew the answer.

→ I don't know it now.

I wish I had known the answer.

→ I didn't know it at that time.


I wish I were more organised.

→ I'm not organised enough now.

I wish I had been more organised.

→ I wasn't organised in the past.


8 — TRANSFORM THE SENTENCE

Example

We didn't book travel insurance.

→ I wish we had booked travel insurance.

Now:

  1. We didn't check in online.
  2. We booked a connecting flight.
  3. We didn't leave home early enough.
  4. Daniel didn't charge his phone.
  5. They didn't check the departure board.
  6. Maya didn't bring extra clothes.
  7. They didn't book a direct flight.
  8. They ignored their father's advice.


ANSWERS

  1. I wish we had checked in online.
  2. I wish we hadn't booked a connecting flight.
  3. I wish we had left home earlier.
  4. I wish Daniel had charged his phone.
  5. I wish they had checked the departure board.
  6. I wish Maya had brought extra clothes.
  7. I wish they had booked a direct flight.
  8. I wish they had listened to their father.


9 — 🗣️ SPEAKING: REGRETS

Complete:

I wish I had…

I wish I hadn't…

If only I had…

If only I hadn't…

Then discuss:

Travel

  1. Have you ever missed a flight?
  2. Have you ever lost luggage?
  3. Have you ever booked something and regretted it?
  4. What's the worst travel mistake you've made?
  5. Do you usually plan everything or improvise?

More personal B2 questions

  1. What's one decision from the past you would change?
  2. Is it useful to regret things?
  3. Can a bad decision sometimes lead to something good?
  4. Should we learn from our mistakes or simply move on?
  5. Do you think people regret things more when they get older?