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To wish:(again!)

Yet, many of you have told me that they still had a few problems, and that some 

extra explanations would be necessary. Here they are! 

To wish: to request or desire, is used to EXPRESS WISHES (realisable or not) or  regrets.

It's quite similar to 'If only' and is followed by the same tenses.  

1)  To speak about a wish applying to the present,  we use  the modal preterite. I WISH+ PRETERITE.

- I wish I understood what you're talking about! 

2) In order to speak about a wish concerning the past  (and which, most of the time is a regret )

the  past perfect must be used. I WISH + PAST PERFECT: 

(The past perfect is: subject + verb + past participle: I had done/ I hadn't done.)

- I wish he hadn't come to the party

Just to make sure you won't tell the opposite of what you mean, mentally replace it by  "IF ONLY"

- If only he hadn't come! 

3) I wish... would expresses  irritation, annoyance  about what is happening or not. 

I wish + subject + would

- I wish he would stop smoking when he is with me... 

(This construction is, of course, impossible if the subject is  "I" !  * I wish I would...  doesn't exist.)

4) For  wishes that can be realised  in the future, use: I hope + will

- I hope Jim will get his promotion as expected. 

You can see that the choice of tenses is limited and quite easy to make! Go for the test! 

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1. I wish you would hurrywish you had hurriedwish you hurryedI don't know … I hate being caught in rush hours… We must leave before them.



2. I wish you hadn't shownwish you didn't showwish you had shownI don't know her the present I’ve bought before I offer it to her. I want it to be a surprise!



3. I wish she'd foundwish she'll findhope she'll findI don't know some time to come to visit tomorrow…



4. I wish she had spenthasn't spenthadn't spentI don't know all her money on clothes…Now, she's broke...



5. Kyle wishes he hadwishes he would hadwishes he had hadI don't know a car… it would save him a lot of time to get more sleep in the morning…



6. They wish they hadn't got marriedthey would get marriedthey had got marriedI don't know when they were still teenagers.



7. I wish I hadn't to goI wouldn't must goI didn't have to goI don't know to work everyday, and I won't have to, thanks to teleworking.



8. I wish you have calledyou would callyou hadnt calledI don't know your grandmother more often… She feels you’re not concerned about her.



9. 'I wish you would stopyou had stoppedyou hadn't stoppedI don't know criticizing my work… You never say anything kind about me…'



10. I wish he would studyhe hadn't studiedhe had studiedI don't know in University… it would be easier for him to get a good job now…