Easy Word | Luyện ngữ pháp


Luyện ngữ pháp - Destination B1 (Unit 35: Grammar - wish)


wish

We use the verb wish to talk about situations which are not real, but which we would like to be real.
We use wish with different tenses and modals depending on what we want to say.
Use Tense/ modal Example
To express wishes about now or generally wish + past simple Carl wishes he had a telescope.
I wish I wasn't scared of spiders
To express wishes about the past wish + past perfect simple Tracy wishes she’d seen that programme about the moon last night.
I wish they hadn’t cut down so many trees
To criticise other people, or to complain about something wish + would + bare infinitive I wish people would throw their litter in the bin and not on the ground!
I wish you wouldn’t smoke in here.
To express wishes about ability and permission now or in the future wish + could + bare infinitive I wish I could travel through time!
David wishes he could come with us, but his parents won’t let him.

Helpful hints
When we use wish + past simple, we can say I/he/she/it was...., or I/he /she /it were ... Were is more formal than was.
✓ I wish I was an astronaut (more informal)
✓ I wish I were an astronaut (more formal)

We can use the phrase if only in the same way as wish.
✓ If only I was/were an astronaut

Watch out!
We don't use would for wishes about ourselves.
✓ I wish I lived on Mars.
✘ I wish I would live on Mars

We use wish for situations that aren’t real. If there is a possibility that something will happen in the future, we don’t use wish, but we can use hope.
✓ I hope it doesn’t snow tomorrow.
✘ I wish it doesn’t snow tomorrow:

Exercise - A


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