Level: intermediate
Wishes
We use the verb wish or the phrase if only to talk about things which we want but which are not possible:
I wish I could see you next week.
If only we could stop for a drink.
I wish we had a bigger house.
They are always busy. If only they had more time.
John was very lazy at school. Now he wishes he had worked harder.
We use wish and if only with past tense forms:
- We use past tense modals would and could to talk about wishes for the future:
I don't like my work. I wish I could get a better job.
That's a dreadful noise. I wish it would stop.
I always have to get home early. If only my parents would let me stay out later.
- We use past simple and continuous to talk about wishes for the present:
I don't like this place. I wish I lived somewhere more interesting.
These seats are very uncomfortable. I wish we were travelling first class.
I wish I was taller.
John wishes he wasn't so busy.
I'm freezing. If only it wasn't so cold.
- After I/he/she/it, we can use were instead of was:
I wish I was/were taller.
John wishes he wasn't/weren't so busy.
I'm freezing. If only it wasn't/weren't so cold.
- We use the past perfect to talk about wishes for the past:
I wish I had worked harder when I was at school.
Mary wishes she had listened to what her mother told her.
I wish I hadn’t spent so much money last month.
- Wishes 1
- Wishes 2
Hypotheses (things we imagine)
Expressions
When we are talking about hypotheses, we use expressions like:
what if ... ? | in case | suppose (that) | supposing (that) | imagine (if/that) |
We use these expressions:
- with present tense forms to talk about the present or future if we think something is likely to be true or to happen:
We should phone them in case they are lost.
Those steps are dangerous. Suppose someone has an accident.
- with past tense forms to talk about the present or future to suggest something is not likely to be true or to happen:
Imagine you won the lottery. What would you do with the money?
What if he lost his job? What would happen then?
- with the past perfect to talk about things in the past which did not happen:
Suppose you hadn't passed your exams. What would you have done?
What if he had lost his job? What would his wife have said?
Modal verbs
We use modals would and could for a hypothesis about the present or future:
We can't all stay in a hotel. It would be very expensive.
Drive carefully or you could have an accident.
We use would in the main clause and the past tense in a subordinate clause for a hypothesis about the present or future:
I would always help someone who really needed help.
I would always help someone if they really needed it.
We use modals with have to talk about something that did not happen in the past:
I didn't see Mary, or I might have spoken to her.
It's a pity Jack wasn't at the party. He would have enjoyed it.
Why didn't you ask me? I could have told you the answer.
We use would have in the main clause and the past perfect in a subordinate clause to talk about something that did not happen in the past:
I would have helped anyone who had asked me.
I would have helped you if you had asked me.
- Hypotheses 1
- Hypotheses 2
Hello again Ahmed Imam,
To talk about the present (an imaginary, alternative present) you would use the first example [wish + past form], not [wish + would].
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Ahmed Imam,
These are interesting examples! They are all grammatically correct. There are slight differences in meaning.
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Ahmed Imam,
Both options are grammatically correct, but the meaning is different. If only he could ... means he can't speak Spanish. If only he would ... means he is unwilling to speak Spanish (so, he may be able to speak it, but he doesn't want to).
The phrase later on generally means a short time in the future, not a long time. So, If only he would ... makes the most sense. If only he could ... doesn't really make sense because being able or unable to speak Spanish isn't likely to change within the short time that later on indicates.
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Lavinia,
It's a good question! You're right that I wish there were ... is correct, and this is the structure that is normally taught in grammar books. But, the structure you noticed (I wish X would have ...) is very commonly used nowadays, especially in American English.
Is it correct? That's a slightly tricky question :) From a traditional point of view, the answer is no. So, I wouldn't recommend using it in a written exam, for example. But in casual conversation with someone, I don't think it would be regarded as a mistake.
Does that make sense?
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Adamfirstttt,
In conditional sentences, we use modal verbs like would (have) in the result clause, not the condition clause; in the condition clause we use a normal verb form in whatever tense or aspect is appropriate.
In your first example, the result clause is omitted and there is only the condition clause. If you add a result clause then you could use use 'would have':
In your second example, would have is used in the result clause:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Dean,
The second sentence is not correct. This is because we don't generally use 'would' with the subject 'I' after 'wish', since in a sentence like this, 'would' expresses the idea of annoyance or unwillingness. In this sentence, the opportunity is not something that your willingness directly affects.
In other words, you can say something like 'I wish he would visit me' (the subject of the verb 'would visit' is 'he', not 'I' -- the idea is that you wish he was willing (wanted) to visit you) but not 'I wish I would have that opportunity'. Instead, we say 'I wish I could have' or 'I wish I had'.
I hope this helps you make sense of it.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
This is because 'would'
Hello Harry de ZHANG,
I'm not sure there is a rationale for such aspects of the language. Languages are organic and develop through use and need without an imposed plan from above.
This use of were is actually an archaic form. The subjunctive used to be the norm in if-clauses but now is used only with the verb be (present subjunctive- be, past subjunctive - were)
You can read more about the subjunctive in English here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_subjunctive
The use of were in if-clauses is still very common, particularly with the first-person (If I were...). The use of was is frowned upon by some people, who see it as incorrect or at best poor style. This is not a view shared by the majority of modern grammarians, however.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Tim,
You're correct that there are three moods in English (indicative, subjunctive and imperative) and that every verb has one of these three moods. Note that it is not the sentence which has a mood, however, but the verb; mood is a characteristic of verbs.
The subjunctive can be used in some hypothetical forms but it's actually hard to tell in many cases as the past subjunctive and the past indicative forms of the verb are identical in all but the third person in English. It's easier with present forms, and with these we can see that the present subjunctive is already archaic and is in the process of disappearing. Both of these sentences are grammatically correct, but the first sounds very old-fashioned and stilted:
We have similar choices with hypothetical past forms:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Tim,
You're correct that every verb in English has one of the three moods. There are plenty of sentences without verbs, however, though a verb is often implied.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ahmed Imam
Both sentences are grammatically correct but there is a difference in meaning. In 1, 'would' means something like 'were willing to come' or 'wanted to come'. In 2, it's not that they don't want to come, it's that they cannot.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello NoobsDeath
Yes, that's the right idea. You can read a detailed explanation of this on our Probability and Modals – deductions about the past pages.
Best wishes
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Ahmed Imam,
Both could have and had are grammatically possible in this sentence. I wish I could have has a similar meaning to I wish it were possible for me to have, while I wish I had is a more general statement about the speaker's character and the kind of person he or she is.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Kamil,
When we say something should go sooner rather than later we mean that it it better to do it quickly than to wait.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello again Kamil,
If a person says something 'has to go' then they mean it is no longer needed or wanted and must be removed in some way.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Kamil,
Being is the -ing form of the verb be. You can use it in many ways, as a full verb, as an auxiliary verb, as a gerund and as an adjective.
You can read about some of the uses of -ing forms here:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/ing-forms
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Kamil,
There are many ways to form this sentence. You'll need to give us some more guidance if you want us to help you find a particular way to say it.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Kamil
Part of being a native speaker of a language is having the sense for whether a sentence is grammatical or not. There are different theories about how it is that native speakers have this ability, but in any case, it takes years of listening and reading other people use the language. I'd suggest you read and listen to English as much as you can, and, if possible, get the help of a teacher, who can speed up the process for you.
I'm afraid we don't provide that kind of support here. Our comments section is a space where users can ask questions about what's on our pages. We occasionally also answer very specific questions about language related to what's on our pages, but this is not a space for private tuition.
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Kamil,
It's hard to be sure without knowing exactly what you want to say, but here are two possibilities:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Kamil,
'Did' is used here to avoid repeating 'looked' twice in the same sentence:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Kamil
There is no real difference in meaning in most contexts. Native speakers often use 'will' or 'would' to express the idea of willingness, that is, whether someone wants to do something. In this and many other cases, 'would' is used in this way even though its subject is not a person or even a living being -- it's as if we are imagining that nature or a god wants it to rain and that's why it's raining.
The second sentence expresses the idea that we wish things were different, but without the idea of there being a reason for it.
Does that make sense?
All the best
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team