I’ve actually been meaning to write a post about these structures for a while because ‘wish’ is SUCH a useful word. We use it in all sorts of contexts. It can get a bit confusing though so I’m going to lay out 4 uses for you today in a simple format and, if you apply these correctly, your English will sound fantastic!
1. WISH for regrets
- structure: wish + had/hadn’t + past participle
- use this structure when you are talking about a regret
- examples: I wish I had studied harder at school then I would have a better job now / I wish I hadn’t eaten so much cake, I’m so full! / I wish I’d spent more time with my grandparents when they were alive
- watch out for the contraction (I’d) because it can look like ‘would’ but it is always ‘had’ if it is followed by the past participle
2. WISH for ability
- structure: wish + could + present simple verb
- use this to talk about things you are not able to do
- examples: I wish I could play the piano but I’m rubbish at musical instruments / I wish I could speak English more fluently
3. WISH for desires
- structure: wish + past simple
- use this to talk about things you want but are not possible (very similar to structure 2 but without using could)
- examples: I wish I had a bigger house but we can’t afford to move / I wish I were taller / I wish my brother lived closer to me, I don’t get to see him often / I wish train travel was cheaper
- you can use ‘was’ or ‘were’ after you say ‘I wish I’ – both are fine
4. WISH for complaining/moaning
- structure: wish + 3rd person + would + present simple
- use this to tell somebody you are annoyed about their bad behaviour or habit, or to moan to a friend about a situation
- examples: I wish my son would tidy his room, it’s so messy! / I wish the government would lower income tax / I do so much in the house, I wish you would say thank you once in a while! / I wish the council would invest more money in this city
Don’t worry if that’s all a bit overwhelming. It might take a while to get your head around. But you can see from the examples that there are lots of ways to use wish, so it’s great for speaking to all sorts of people that you might have English conversations with 🙂
Try some writing….
Choose one of the structures and make your own example – Leave your reply below and I’ll check it for you! 😊
6 Responses
I wish I had studied english better at school then I could speak english much better.( is correct could or should I use would?)
I wish I had danced when I was yanger so I would be more flexible now.
I love animals so I wish I had been veterinary
Your first example is a classic 3rd conditional structure, well done, and yes you can use ‘could’ here. The second example is also good (just check your spelling – younger) and the last example is a lovely ‘regret’ sentence (just change the ending to ‘a vet’) Great work Cecilia 🤩
1. I wish I had done my masters in my late 20s…
2. I wish I could stand confidently before the crowd and speak….
3. I wish I had my own building…
4. I wish my students would do the cleaning thoroughly in my absence….
These are fantastic examples Ugyen! Grammatically perfect, and all with such a clear context. Thanks so much for sharing them with us 😊
I wish I could have more free time to go out with my family or with my friends.
This is a very nice, realistic use of wish Matilda! In order to make it more natural, I might say ‘I wish I could spend more time with….’ or ‘I wish I had more free time to…’ (You don’t need the ‘could’ and ‘have’ together)
Thanks for replying with this lovely example – I’m sure a lot of people can relate to this feeling! 😊