Expressing a wish or a regret
05-05-2013, 07:15 PM
Expressing a wish or a regret
Use of I wish / if only:
There are three distinct types of I wish / if only sentences:
Wish, wanting change for the present or future with the simple past.
Regret with the past perfect.
Complaints with would + verb.
Expressing a wish:
Form:
If only / I wish + simple past
Example:
If only I knew how to use a computer. (I don’t know how to use a computer and I would like to learn how to use it)
Use:
To express a wish in the present or in the future.
The simple past here is an unreal past.
When you use the verb to be the form is “were”.
Example:
I wish I were a millionaire!
Expressing regret:
Form:
If only / I wish + past perfect
Example:
If only I had woken up early. (I didn't wake up early and I missed my bus.)
Use:
To express a regret.
The action is past.
Complaining:
Form:
I wish / if only + would + verb
Example:
I wish you wouldn't arrive so late all the time (I'm annoyed because you always come late and I want you to arrive on time)
Use:
To complain about a behavior that you disapprove.
Expressing impatience, annoyance or dissatisfaction with a present action.
A wish is always followed by the past tense form but refers to the present. Here are some examples:Use of I wish / if only:
There are three distinct types of I wish / if only sentences:
Wish, wanting change for the present or future with the simple past.
Regret with the past perfect.
Complaints with would + verb.
Expressing a wish:
Form:
If only / I wish + simple past
Example:
If only I knew how to use a computer. (I don’t know how to use a computer and I would like to learn how to use it)
Use:
To express a wish in the present or in the future.
The simple past here is an unreal past.
When you use the verb to be the form is “were”.
Example:
I wish I were a millionaire!
Expressing regret:
Form:
If only / I wish + past perfect
Example:
If only I had woken up early. (I didn't wake up early and I missed my bus.)
Use:
To express a regret.
The action is past.
Complaining:
Form:
I wish / if only + would + verb
Example:
I wish you wouldn't arrive so late all the time (I'm annoyed because you always come late and I want you to arrive on time)
Use:
To complain about a behavior that you disapprove.
Expressing impatience, annoyance or dissatisfaction with a present action.
1. After wish we usually use were, for example, "I wish I were taller. = I'm short." But we also use 'I wish I had ... ' and 'I wish I could ...'
2. We also use wish to say that we regret something for example, "I wish I knew Stefan's telephone number. = I don't know Stefan's telephone number and I want to call him now."
Here's how I teach expressing wishes. I start off with expressing my own wishes.
I don't play the piano. = I wish I could play the piano.
I'm going bald. = I wish I had more hair.
I'm fat. = I wish I were thin.
However, the main use of 'wish' is to say that we would like things to be different from what they are, that we have regrets about the present situation.
I wish I was rich.
He wishes he lived in Paris.
They wish they'd chosen a different leader.
Notice that the verb tense which follows 'I wish' is 'more in the past' than the tense corresponding to its meaning.
I'm too fat. I wish I was thin.
I never get invited to parties. I wish I got invited to parties.
It's raining. I wish it wasn't raining.
I went to see the latest Star Wars film. I wish I hadn't gone.
I've eaten too much. I wish I hadn't eaten so much.
I'm going to visit her later. I wish I wasn't going to visit her later.
In the case of 'will' , where 'will' means 'show willingness' we use 'would'.
He won't help me. I wish he would help me.
You're making too much noise. I wish you would be quiet.
You keep interrupting me. I wish you wouldn't do that
Form and meaning
Wishes about the present and future
We use wish + past simple to express that we want a situation in the present (or future) to be different.
I wish I spoke Italian. (I don't speak Italian.)
I wish I had a big car. (I don't have a big car.)
I wish I was on a beach. (I'm in the office.)
Future: I wish it was the weekend tomorrow. (It's only Thursday tomorrow.)
We use wish + past continuous to express that we want to be doing a different action in the present (or future).
I wish I was lying on a beach now. (I'm sitting in the office.)
I wish it wasn't raining. (It is raining.)
I wish you weren't leaving tomorrow. (You are leaving tomorrow.)
Wishes about the past
We use wish + past perfect to express a regret, or that we want a situation in the past to be different.
I wish I hadn't eaten so much. (I ate a lot.)
I wish they'd come on holiday with us. (They didn't come on holiday with us.)
I wish I had studied harder at school. (I was lazy at school.)
Wish + would
We use wish + would + bare infinitive to express impatience, annoyance or dissatisfaction with a present action.
I wish you would stop smoking. (You are smoking at the moment and it is annoying me.)
I wish it would stop raining. (I'm impatient because it is raining and I want to go outside.)
I wish she'd be quiet. (I am annoyed because she is speaking
I wish this lesson would be of much help to my dear students
