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Intermediate Grammar: How to use wish

The verb wish expresses a desire for a situation that doesnt exist now.
1. Wish + Part Participle
We use wish + past participle to express that we want a situation in the present (or future)
to be different.
Examples:
I wish I lived in Spain Right now this person does not live in Spain but would like to in
the present.
He wished he had a Lambourghini Right now this person does not have a lambourghini
but want one in the present.
They wish it was June Right now its May and they still have to wait a month to go on
holiday in the future.
2. Wish + Past Continuous
We use wish + past continuous to express that we want to be doing a different activity in
the present (or the future).
Examples:
I wish I was eating Spanish food in Barcelona Right now this person is in the office, they
would like to be in Spain, eating tapas, in the present.
He wished he was driving a Lambourghini in Paris Right now this person is also in an
office, they want to be driving, in the present.
They wish they were leaving tomorrow to go on holiday They arent going on holiday, in
the future, but would like to.
3. Wish + Past Perfect
We use wish + past perfect to express regret. This means we want to be able to change a
situation in the past.
Examples:
I wish I hadnt eaten so much chocolate This person ate too much chocolate, feels sick
and would like to go back to the past and change it.
He wished his Dad had bought him a Lambourghini for his birthday This person would
have liked a car for his birthday, in the past.
They wish they had studied more for their exam They didnt study and now would like to
go back and study more.
4. Wish + Would
We use wish + would + infinitive to express dissatisfaction with the present situation.
Examples:
I wish you would stop making so much noise The person wants the other to stop making
noise.
He wished his dog would behave The dog is barking and he wants it to stop.
__________
We can also use wish to express want in a
formal situation, for example, we can say I wish to talk to the headmaster. We do this by
saying wish + infinitive.
Finally, we can use subject + wish + someone as a fixed expression to congratulate them or
desire them well. For example: We wish you a Merry Christmas, My parents wish you a
Happy Birthday, I wish you good luck in your new job, She wishes her sister the best of
happiness.
We hope this lesson helped you understand how to use wish. And remember, if you have
any questions, let us know in the comment section!
USING WISH IN ENGLISH
Wish + Infinitive
I wish to see the manager.
This is like 'I would like to see the manager', but is more insistent and stronger, though still
polite.
Wish + Noun/Pronoun + Past Simple
I wish I had the time to do it.
This means either that I don't have the time now or that I won't have the time in the future to
do it, depending on context:
I wish I were/was rich.
Here, the speaker regrets that they are not rich now. Note that with the verb 'be', you can
either use the past simple or the past subjunctive.
I wish I were/was able to go to the meeting next week.
Here, the speaker is clearly talking about the future.
Wish + Noun/Pronoun + Past Perfect
I wish I hadn't said that.
Here, the speaker is talking about the past. They said something and now they regret it.
Wish + Noun/Pronoun + Would/Could
I wish I could speak German.
Here, the speaker cannot speak German, but it is possible to learn it, so it is not as impossible
as the sentences above. It is imaginary, but wouldn't be impossible to change the situation. If
the subject of the verb wish and the verb after it are the same, we use could.
I wish he wouldn't play his music so late at night.
Again, the situation is imaginary, but it would be possible for the other person to turn their
music down. As the two subjects are different, we use would. It is possible to use could when
talking about someone not having the opportunity or ability: I wish he could come with us.

Using 'wish' for regrets and other things
too!
Using wish for past regrets
To regret means that we now feel sorry for something which happened (or didnt happen) in
the past
For example:
I regret waking up so late this morning. = I am now sorry that I woke up late.
I regret not studying harder in school. = I am now sorry that I didnt study enough.
In English we can use the word 'wish' to talk about our past regrets (I have many
regrets, so it a useful word for me)!
Lets take a look at our first example sentence using wish:
I wish I had studied harder in school.
(wish + pronoun + past perfect)
Again in this example sentence the speaker is now sorry that he did not study harder in
school.
Here are some more examples:
Noel wishes he had visited the Sorbonne when he was in Paris.
We wish we had been kinder to her before she got sick.
They wish they hadnt spent so much money on their shopping trip.
Using wish for present regrets
So far we have looked at using regret for events which happened in the past which we now
feel sorry about. We can also use wish to talk about our regrets about present situations i.e.
we wish that things could be different from the way they are at the moment.
I wish I was taller. = I am not tall, but I want to be.
Note: Although we are talking about the present we use the past tense: I wish I was taller
and not I wish I am taller.
Here are some examples of present situation regrets:
I wish I knew the way home. = I want to go home, but I dont know the way.
She wishes she was going too. = She wants to go, but she can not.
They wish they were younger. = They are older than they want to be.
Complaining
When someone does something which makes us angry we can use wish:
I wish you wouldnt do that
Imagine that you share an apartment with somebody. He is very lazy. You can complain by
using wish + would:
I wish you would wash the dishes.
I wish you wouldnt leave your clothes on the floor.
I wish you would be cleaner.
Dreams and unreal situations
We can use wish + could to talk about something that we want to do but cant.
For impossible dreams:
I wish I could fly like superman!
For possible dreams:
I wish I could ski. (This is not impossible, you just need to take lessons)

Now choose the best choice to complete each sentence:

Link: How to apologise lesson
I wish ___ to my father.

had listen
I had listened
I listen
I have listened
I wish it ___ snowing.

would stop
would
could stopped
would stopped
I wish I ___ so old.

was not
had not
am
would
I wish I ___ the train.

were taken
have took
would taken
had taken
I wish I ___ a day off.

had take
would taken
could take
could taken
I wish the prices ___ so expensive.

would not
was not
have not
were not
Wish
Let's start off with the easy part. ' I wish to' can mean the same as 'I want to' but it is much,
much more formal and much, much less common.
I wish to make a complaint.
I wish to see the manager.
You can also use 'wish' with a noun to 'offer good wishes'.
I wish you all the best in your new job.
We wish you a merry Christmas.
Notice that when you want to offer good wishes using a verb, you must use 'hope ' and not
'wish'.
We wish you the best of luck.
We hope you have the best of luck.
I wish you a safe and pleasant journey.
I hope you have a safe and pleasant journey.
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.
Where 'will' means a future event, we cannot use 'wish' and must use 'hope'.
There's a strike tomorrow. I hope some buses will still be running.
I hope everything will be fine in your new job.
In more formal English, we use the subjunctive form 'were' and not 'was' after 'wish'.
I wish I were taller.
I wish it were Saturday today.
I wish he were here.
Using "Wish"
Similar to conditional sentences are those that use "wish" to express
something isn't true now, or it wasn't true in the past. To make
sentences with "wish" properly, a knowledge of the Sequence of Tenses
is important.
I wish I had more money.
(This describes a present situation. In fact, I don't have more money.)
She wishes he would talk to her more often.
(This also describe a present situation. Notice that the modal verb
"would" is used here. "Would" and "could" are frequently used in
these kinds of sentences.)
They wish they hadn't bought that house.
(This describes a past situation that can't be changed. They regret their
decision, but you can't change the past. Notice the use of the past
perfect after "wish.")

Here are some more examples:
Yesterday Tom moved his chair and
hurt his back. Now he wishes he
hadn't done that.
(The verb "do" is especially useful.
You can use it for just about any
kind of mistake you made in the
past.)

Tony wishes he had a job as a radio
announcer.
(The verb "have" is often used after
"wish." In this situation, he doesn't
have this job, but you use the past
tense of have: had.

"I wish I knew the answer."
(You don't know the answer, but
you wish you did. Again, the past
tense is used to describe a present
situation.)


Using wish in the present tense
When you say "I wish..." you are talking about
something that you want but probably will not happen, or you don't think
will happen. Like I wish I had a million dollars. (It is different from the
word hope. If you hope for something, it means you think it could be
possible.)
Here are some examples:
I wish I had a new job.
Teri wishes she knew Tom Cruise.
Jim wishes Karen liked to cook.
The boys wish they could go to Hawaii.
Notice you use the past tense verb in the clause after wish. But when you
use a be verb in the clause, always use were.
Examples:
I wish I were the president.
She wishes she were here now.
We wish we were at home.

Check Your Understanding
Change the sentences to use wish. Check your answer by clicking
on the arrows.

Examples:

I want to have a bike.
I wish I had a bike.
Mary wants to be a movie star.
Mary wishes she were a movie star.
EXERCISE
1. Joseph wants to see his friend.
JOSEPH WHISES HE SAW HIS FRIEND

2. Eric and Steven want to have a new car.

Frank wants to be a pilot.

3. Sharon wants to be married.

4. You want to be able* to play the piano.

5. Stephanie wants to be young.

6. Mike wants to speak Spanish.

7. Carrie wants to have more time.

*Remember: to be able = can

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