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Unit 41 · if and wish

wish

Study

A

We say ‘wish somebody luck / all the best / success’ etc. :

›

I wish you all the best in the future.

›

I saw Mark before the exam and he wished me luck.

We say ‘wish somebody something’ (luck, happiness etc.), but we do not say ‘I wish something happens’.

We use hope in this situation:

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I’m sorry you’re not well. I hope you feel better soon. (not I wish you feel)

Compare I wish and I hope:

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I wish you a pleasant stay at this hotel.

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I hope you enjoy your stay at this hotel. (not I wish you enjoy)

B

We also use wish to say that we regret something, that something is not as we would like it.

When we use wish in this way, we use the past (knew / lived etc.), but the meaning is present:

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I wish I knew what to do about the problem. (but I don’t know)

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I wish you didn’t have to go so soon. (but you have to go)

›

Do you wish you lived near the sea? (you don’t live near the sea)

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Jack’s going on a trip to Mexico soon. I wish I was going too. (but I’m not going)

To say that we regret something that happened before, we use wish + had known / had said etc. :

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I wish I’d known about the party. I’d have gone if I’d known. (but I didn’t know)

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It was a stupid thing to say. I wish I hadn’t said it. (but I said it)

See also Units 39 and 40.

C

I wish I could (do something) = I regret that I cannot do it:

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I’m sorry you have to go. I wish you could stay longer. (but you can’t)

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I’ve met that man before. I wish I could remember his name. (but I can’t)

I wish I could have (done something) = I regret that I could not do it:

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I hear the party was great. I wish I could have gone. (but I couldn’t go)

D

You can say ‘I wish something would happen’. For example:

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It’s been raining all day. Tanya doesn’t like it. She says: I wish it would stop raining.

Tanya would like the rain to stop, but this will probably not happen.

We use I wish … would when we would like something to happen or change.

We often use I wish … would to complain about a situation:

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The phone has been ringing for five minutes. I wish somebody would answer it.

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I wish you’d do (= you would do) something instead of just sitting and doing nothing.

You can use I wish … wouldn’t … to complain about things that people do repeatedly:

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I wish you wouldn’t keep interrupting me. (= please stop interrupting me)

E

We use I wish … would … to say that we want something to happen. We do not use I wish … would … to say how we would like things to be. Compare:

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I wish Sarah would come. (= I want her to come)

but

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I wish Sarah was (or were) here now. (not I wish Sarah would be)

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I wish somebody would buy me a car.

but

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I wish I had a car. (not I wish I would have)

→ would ➜ Unit 36 · I wish I knew ➜ Unit 39 · I wish I was / I wish I were ➜ Unit 39C · I wish I had known ➜ Unit 40

Exercises (4)

0/4 exercises checked
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41.1

Put in wish(ed) or hope(d).

wishwishedhopehoped
  1. 1
    I you a pleasant stay at this hotel.example
  2. 2
    Enjoy your holiday. I you have a great time.
  3. 3
    Goodbye. I you all the best for the future.
  4. 4
    We said goodbye to each other and each other luck.
  5. 5
    We’re going to have a picnic tomorrow, so I the weather is nice.
  6. 6
    Congratulations on your new job. I you every success.
  7. 7
    Good luck in your new job. I it works out well for you.
41.2

Complete the sentences.

  1. 1
    Jack is going on a trip to Mexico soon. I wish I too.example
  2. 2
    I’m very tired and I have so much to do. I wish I so tired.
  3. 3
    You didn’t tell me you were ill. Why not? I wish you me.
  4. 4
    I don’t have enough free time. I wish I more free time.
  5. 5
    I can’t make up my mind what to do. I wish I decide.
  6. 6
    I bought these shoes, but now I don’t like them. I wish I them.
  7. 7
    We have to go out now and I don’t want to go. I wish we to go out now.
  8. 8
    Unfortunately I couldn’t go to the wedding last month. I wish I could .
41.3

What do you say in these situations? Write sentences with I wish … would … .

  1. 1
    It’s raining. You want to go out, but not in the rain.
    You say: I wish .example
  2. 2
    You’re waiting for Jane. She’s late and you’re getting impatient.
    You say to yourself: I wish she .
  3. 3
    You’re looking for a job – so far without success. Nobody will give you a job.
    You say: I wish somebody me a job.
  4. 4
    You can hear a dog barking. It’s been barking a long time and you’re trying to study.
    You say: I wish the/that dog barking.
  5. 5
    Your friend is driving very fast. She always drives fast and you don’t like this.
    You say to her: I wish you so fast.
  6. 6
    Joe leaves the door open all the time. This annoys you.
    You say to Joe: I wish you the door open (all the time).
  7. 7
    A lot of people drop litter in the street. You don’t like this.
    You say: I wish people litter in the street.
41.4

Put the verb into the correct form.

  1. 1
    It was a stupid thing to say. I wish I it. (I / not / say)example
  2. 2
    I’m fed up with this rain. I wish it . (it / stop)example
  3. 3
    It’s a difficult question. I wish I the answer. (I / know)
  4. 4
    I really didn’t enjoy the party. I wish we . (we / not / go)
  5. 5
    I wish the bus . We’ve been waiting for 20 minutes. (the bus / come)
  6. 6
    You’re lucky to be going away. I wish I with you. (I / can / come)
  7. 7
    Our flat is rather small. I wish it a bit bigger. (it / be)
  8. 8
    I should have listened to you. I wish I your advice. (I / take)
  9. 9
    You keep interrupting me! I wish you . (you / listen)
  10. 10
    You’re always complaining. I wish you all the time. (you / not / complain)
  11. 11
    It’s freezing today. I wish it so cold. I hate cold weather. (it / not / be)
  12. 12
    I wish the weather . It’s horrible! (the weather / change)
  13. 13
    I wish I a piano. I’d love to have one. (I / have)
  14. 14
    When we were in London last year, we didn’t have time to see all the things we wanted to see. I wish we there longer. (we / can / stay)