UNIT
22
I wish...; if only... USING WISH TO EXPRESS REGRET I wish + Subject + Past simple (I did) / Past continuous ( I was doing) • This form is used when you would like the present situation to be different. I wish you were here now. (I regret the fact that the other person is NOT here) I wish I could speak Portuguese. (but you can’t and you regret that) I wish it didn’t rain every day. • You can also use Past continuous if your regret refers to an action in progress: I wish it weren’t raining: I could go for a walk. (you can’t go because it’s raining now) I wish + Subject + Past perfect (I had done) • This pattern expresses deep regret about something that happened in the past; you would like to change the way things actually went, but you can’t: I wish my sister hadn’t told me that awful story. (but she did, and now I regret that) I wish + Subject + would + Base form (I would do) • You use this pattern when you want to express irritation about somebody’s behaviour and you would like it to change from now on. I wish Fabrizio wouldn’t smoke so many cigarettes. (he does smoke in fact) OTHER MEANINGS OF WISH • In formal situations you use wish with the meaning of ‘want’; ‘wish’ takes the same structure as ‘want’ when it is followed by a verb or a clause. Study the examples: I wish to inform you that your application is currently under review. (= I want to inform you) I wish the manager to know what has just happened in his shop. (= I want the manager to know...) • Wish is also used to ‘offer good wishes’ on special occasions. In this case it is followed by a noun: When there is a verb, you must use ‘hope’. We wish you a Merry Christmas! (but: I hope you have a Merry Christmas) If only + Past simple (I did) / Past perfect (I had done) • If only expresses strong wish, when you would like a situation to be different: it is followed by either Past simple or Past perfect and, more rarely, would + Base form. If only I had more time, I’d see my brother. (I wish I had more time NOW, I regret not having any) If only I hadn’t lost my passport, I could be leaving now. (I wish I hadn’t lost my passport, but I did) If only you would stop telling lies, I’d trust what you say. (= but you DO tell lies so I don’t trust you) • If only can also be used to begin exclamations: If only I knew where I put the glasses! (I strongly wish I could find them)
1
Match the sentences (1-6) to the ones on the right (a-f), which express the same feelings about the situation. 1 2 3 4 5 6
2
I wish she wouldn’t talk so much. I wish I’d won the match. I wish I weren’t here. I wish it were sunny. I wish to make a complaint. I wish I wasn’t leaving.
a Too bad we lost the game! b I’m fed up with this rain. c I’m not satisfied with the product. d I’d love to stay longer. e I’d like her to stop talking. f I wish I hadn’t come.
Read the situations and complete the sentences with the missing parts using wish.
0 Tom left his smartphone at home and now he needs to call his wife. He wishes he hadn’t left it at home. 1 It’s raining but Anna doesn’t have an umbrella. She ______________________________________ umbrella. 2 Emma and her sister would like to go to a party but they have a lot of homework to do. They ______________________________________ the party.
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