[Grammar] Perfect Infinitive with regret

[Kotfor]

I have found this thread. https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/...egret-having-done-vs-have-done-something.html


But it is closed now. It is about the usage of perfect infinitive with regret.

"I regret not to have done something"


I still don't understand the reason why it is not common for mordern speakers. Is it because of the verb REGRET itself?

 

[Rover_KE]

I would say regret takes a present participle (among other things*), not an infinitive.

'I regret not having piano lessons when I was young'.

'He's always regretted taking cocaine.'

'For the rest of her life she'll regret going to Australia.'

* Other uses:

'You'll regret it if you're not home by midnight.'

'I called you stupid. I regret that.'

'He'll regret the day he called me a liar.'

Rover

 

[garret]

Rover, don't you mean regret + gerund?