Wish

 Common examples of WISH:

 

I only wish it for your sake.

What right has he not to wish to receive me into his family?

I do not wish to take it on my conscience.

We can run another test, if you wish.

I wish the same for you.

I wish to give everything to you.

I wish to give her a surprise, you see.

 

WISH: For unreal situations

Meaning: Present unreal (Grammar: we use the past simple)

 

-         I wish I were taller. I wish I had a car. I wish I were muscular.

Do you wish you were a professional athlete? I wish I were in Cuzco now.

I wish I were a dolphin. Do you wish you had a mansion?

My friend Ruth wishes she played volleyball perfectly now.

I wish I could eat healthier, but I can’t. I love soda and pork.

I wish I drank water every day, but I don’t like it much. Sorry!

 

Meaning: Past unreal (Grammar: we use the past perfect)

-         I wish I had visited Cuzco last year. I wish I had eaten pizza yesterday.

I wish we had traveled to Australia before the pandemic.

 

Practice:

1. My brother wishes he __ (travel) to Iquitos last month.

                            a) traveled

                            b) had traveled

2. I wish I __ (have) a new laptop to make videos fast and nicely. Because my laptop is old now.

        a) had

        b) had had

3. My sister wishes she __ (get) married before the pandemic started. Now, she is vaccinated against Covid-19 and is a bit scared of the complications it may have to children.

                        a) got

                        b) had gotten

4. Gareca wishes he __ (have) more time to train Peruvian soccer players last year during the pandemic, but it was difficult for everybody.

                        a) had

                        b) had had

                        c) Neither

                        d) Both a and b

                        e) I have no idea

                        f) I am confused

 

Exceptional use of wish

wish + (that) + would:
It's generally used about other people who are doing (or not doing) something that we don't like it. It's not usually used about ourselves.

• I wish that John wouldn't eat all the chocolate. (John does usually eat all the chocolate and I don't like it. I want him to change his behaviour!)
• I wish that the neighbours would be quiet! (They are not quiet and I don't like the noise.)
• I wish that you wouldn't smoke so much! (You do smoke a lot and I don't like it. I want you to change this.)
• I wish that you wouldn't work late so often.
• I wish that it would stop raining!

We don't usually use 'would' when there's no feeling that we want somebody to change their behaviour.

• NOT: I wish that tomorrow would be a holiday. (Instead: I wish that tomorrow was a holiday.)
• NOT: I wish that I would work harder. (It's strange to use 'wish' + 'would' about yourself, as you can change your behaviour if you don't like it!)