Remorse and Regret

(पश्चाताप) (अफसोस)(पछुतो)

Remorse and regret both mean the same thing.

It describes a feeling when you feel sorry for something you did. You did something and you feel sorry for it. You wish you hadn’t done it.

But what’s the difference?

Let’s look at remorse:

Remorse is an uncountable noun that means we cannot say à remorse or two remorses.

It’s either some remorse or for a  question any remorse.

It’s not countable but it is a noun.

Example:

Question: Did he show any remorse?

• No, he didn’t show any remorse. He wasn’t sorry at all.
• Maybe he showed some remorse.

Example:

Question: Did he show any remorse for what he did?

• Yes, he showed some remorse.
• He felt sorry a little bit and showed some remorse.

 

Let’s Practice:

Question: Did he show any remorse for what he did?

• That’s right. He showed some remorse for what he did.
• No. He didn’t show any remorse for what he did.

 

Now  let’s talk about regret:

Regret is the same idea but regret is a countable noun that means I can have a  regret, one regret, two regrets, three regrets, etc. It’s countable so I can ask the question.

• Do you have any regrets? (you have to put the s because it’s countable)
• Answer: Yes, I have a few regrets.
• no, I don’t have any regrets.

• I only have one regret or my biggest regret was buying that car it was a horrible car.

 Let’s practice

• Question: Does he have any regrets?
• Answer: That’s right. He has some regrets.

 

• Question: What is his biggest regret?
• Answer: His biggest regret was buying that car.

Difference

A big difference between remorse and regret is regret can be used as a verb and it can be used as an action. But remorse cannot.

• You cannot say, ” I remorse doing that”   Sub + remorse + v4 + object.
• but you can say, ” I regret doing that.”     Sub + regret+ v4+ object

 

I regret is used in a simple form. We don’t use continuous tense.

• I am regretting. (incorrect)

It’s always in the simple form “I regret”

Most commonly it’s in the present because it’s how you feel right now.

• I regret something I did in the past.

 

A very important rule about regret is if you have a verb after, it has to be in a gerund form.

you cannot say

• I regret to do something.

You have to say

• I regret doing something.

Example:

I regret buying that car. It was an old car and it had a lot of problems so, I regret buying that old car.

 Let’s practice:

• Does he regret buying that old car?
• That’s right he regrets buying that old car.

Let’s practice:

• Do you have any regrets?
• what do you regret doing?

 

What if you didn’t do something and  you’re sorry that you didn’t do something well then we can make it negative saying

• I regret not doing more research before I bought that car.

 So we still use the gerund:v4

• I regret not doing more research before buying the car.
• I wish I had done more research so I regret not doing more research.

 Let’s practice:

• Does he regret not doing more research before buying the car?
• Yes, he regrets not doing more research before buying the car.

So remember regret and remorse are the same idea but remorse is not countable and regret is countable and only regret can be used as a verb.