In English, sentences with the I wish construct are difficult. Rules will help to understand the features of the use of this phrase.
Starting to study this construction, it is necessary to know the types of conditional sentences. Repeat them before familiarizing yourself with this expression.
The literary translation of I wish from English into Russian is "I'm sorry." However, when we say I wish, it literally translates as "I wish." For example, I wish my Mom were here - I wish my mother was here (It is a pity that my mother is not here).
Regret about the events in the present
Suppose we want to say that we regret something that we have done in the present tense, and we want the result to be different.
There is the following rule for this: I wish + verb in Past Simple.
Remember that the verb to be will be used in the form were (even with a third-person subject)! Learn this rule: I wish I were / she were / he were / it were.
Imagine a situation: today a student performs at a school concert. Any child will wait for his parents to come and look at him. But suddenly it turns out that mom and dad could not take time off from work and come to see the concert. Arriving home, you can express your regret:
- I wish you, Mom and Dad, were at the school concert today. - What a pity that you, mom and dad, were not at the school concert today. (I wish you to be at the school concert today).
Please note that the event has already taken place, and the point in time - today - has not yet expired. And if the event happened yesterday, then the moment is gone, so another time with the I wish construct will be used. Learn the rule in English for the past tense further.
Note that the English sentence is affirmative and the Russian sentence is negative. It is because of this difference that confusion arises: you begin to recall how to say in your native language, making a mistake in speech.
Regret about past events
And if we regret some past events? To do this, in the second part, the verb in time Past Perfect is used, it is also called the previous one.
For clarity, we will use the same example, just change it a little. Imagine that the school concert was on Friday, and on the weekend you have to go to your grandmother. Returning home and seeing your parents, express regret that they could not get to the concert two days ago:
- I wish you, Mom and Dad, had been at the school concert two days ago - What a pity that you, mom and dad, were not at the school concert two days ago.
You want it to be different, but this will not change: the event was in the past.
Expressing dissatisfaction with I wish
But expressing dissatisfaction, they use the expression "I wish smb would ...". Interestingly, this phrase can be reproached to all but yourself. That is, the expression "I wish I would" does not exist!
Saying this phrase, show your irritation happening. Imagine that you are preparing for important exams, and the younger brother, for example, runs around the house and makes noise. Tell him:
- I wish you would be quiet! I have an important exam tomorrow! “Could you be quieter?” I have an important exam tomorrow! (I want you to be quieter).
Expression of helplessness with the phrase I wish
Just imagine: they were sick for a week, but you need to know your homework. They called a neighbor at the desk, and he, it turns out, forgot to write it down and can not help. In this case, it is appropriate to express your regret as follows:
- I wish you could know our homework assignment. - It’s a pity that you don’t know what we were asked (I want you to know our homework).
Rule of use: I wish + could + infinitive. Note that the to particle is omitted.
If only: regret for present events
To express regret, we can replace the phrase I wish - If only with another expression. The rules will be slightly different. Let's try to understand the difference in use.
If only is used to emphasize the unreality of desire. When you want to change something, but this is not possible:
- If only I weren't so frustrated. “If I hadn’t been so depressed now.” (I regret that I am depressed right now, in the present).
- If only it weren't snowing. - If it hadn’t snowed now. (He’s coming now, but I don’t want him).
- If only she weren't so rude with him. “If only she hadn't been so rude to him.” (She is rude to him now, but I do not want this to be so).
- If only I had this phone. - If only I had this phone. (I need him at this second).
This phrase expresses a stronger emotion than the phrase I wish. It shows hopelessness, the inability to change anything.
The grammar in the sentence will be the same as in the sentence I wish: If only + Past Simple (verb in the second form).
However, note that the affirmative sentence in Russian will be affirmative and in English, in contrast to the sentence starting with I wish. Negative will be negative.
If only: regret about the past
When we want to show our regret for events that happened in the past, we use the time Past Perfect (had + a verb in the third form):
- If only I hadn't chattered like a magpie (persistent expression; it matters - popping like a magpie)! “Oh, if I hadn't chatted like forty!” (I regret that I was chatting then, but now this can not be changed)
- If only I had had a bicycle. “Oh, if I had a bike then!” (I needed him a long time, not now)
- If only my grandmother had won that musical contest! - Oh, if my grandmother didn’t win this music contest! (I regret that she won then)
- If only she had read this article! “Oh, if she would read this article!” (Then it would be good for her, but now everything would be different)
Summarize:
To express regret about something at this time, we use the simple past tense: If only + Past Simple (the verb in the second form on the plate of irregular verbs).
To express regret for something that happened in the past, you need to use the past completed tense: If only + Past Perfect (had + a verb in the third form in the same plate).
Replacing If only with I wish
It is allowed to replace the phrase If only with I wish. The semantic load of the sentence from this will not change. See for yourself:
- I wish I weren't so frustrated. “If I hadn’t been so depressed now.”
- I wish it weren't snowing. - If it hadn’t snowed now.
- I wish she weren't so rude with him. “If only she hadn't been so rude to him.”
- I wish I had this phone. - If only I had this phone.
And in the past tense:
- I wish I hadn't chattered like a magpie (persistent expression; it matters - popping like a magpie)! “Oh, if I hadn't chatted like forty!”
- I wish I had had a bicycle. - Oh, if I had a bike!
- I wish my grandmother had won that musical contest! - Oh, if my grandmother didn’t win this music contest!
- I wish she had read this article! “Oh, if she would read this article!”
We see that the structure of the proposal remains almost unchanged. The phrase If only is replaced by the phrase I wish, and the rest of the sentence remains unchanged.
If only / I wish examples with translation: present
Let's try to trace the use of I wish / If only in the present tense with examples:
- I wish I visited the exhibition, you had told me about today. “What a pity that I did not attend the exhibition that you told me about today.”
- I wish she didn't forget about today's meeting. “What a pity she forgot about today's meeting.”
- I wish our teacher didn't fall ill and came. - What a pity that our teacher got sick today and did not come.
- I wish my sister's cat didn't disappear. She's so worried. “What a pity my sister’s cat disappeared today.” She is very worried.
- If only it didn't rain cats and dogs. - Oh, if only today there wasn’t such a shower (rain cats and dogs - English idiom, it matters - heavy rain, pouring from a bucket)
- If only my mother didn't forbid me from going to the cinema. - Oh, if only my mother wouldn’t forbid me to go to the cinema today.
- If only I knew the answer to the question. - Oh, if I knew the answer to this question!
- If only I could repair cars! - Oh, if I were to repair cars!
Examples of I wish / If only with translation: past tense
Now look at examples of the use of these phrases in the past tense:
- I wish we had met in the cafe then. - I'm sorry that we did not meet then in a cafe.
- I wish she had understood what I had meant. “I am sorry that she did not understand then what I had in mind.”
- I wish her brother had won those contest. “I'm sorry her brother didn't win that competition.”
- I wish she had rallied her thoughts and got a good mark at the exam. - I'm sorry that she could not concentrate on the exam and get a good grade.
- If only I had learned this rule. “If only I had learned that rule.”
- If only we had kept an eye for him. - If only then we would not take his eyes off him.
- If only we had ticked him off the list. “If only we had deleted him from the list.”
- If only I hadn't cheated so obviously at the exam. “If only I hadn’t written off so openly on the exam.”
- If only I hadn't got "2" in Maths. - If only I had not received a deuce in mathematics.
- If only he hadn't taken my favorite shirt to the dry cleaners. “If only he hadn’t given my favorite shirt to this dry cleaning service.”
Recommendations
Having difficulty remembering I wish? The rules for using this expression are easy to remember if you write several sentences every day. Even if the sentences are simple, don't be discouraged! The main thing is to fix the grammatical structure in the head.
Say aloud the sentences you have written down. Soon you will be able to invent them yourself without prior writing. And do the exercises: the more you write, the faster and better you remember.