Introduction

"wish"

We can use "wish":

• to express a desire for something in the future in a formal or polite tone:
  "I wish to attend the meeting."
• to express a desire for something in the future for someone else, usually using fixed expressions:
  "I wish him the best of luck."

"wish" / "if only"

We can use "wish" and "if only" to express an unlikely or impossible desire or a regret:

• with the past simple to express an impossible desire in the present:
  • "I wish I lived in the countryside."
  • "If only I lived in the countryside."
    I don’t live in the countryside in the present so this desire is impossible.
  
  
• with the past perfect to express a regret about the past:
  • "I wish I hadn't eaten the prawns."
  • "If only I hadn't eaten the prawns."
    I regret that I ate the prawns in the past.
  
  
• with would/could to express a desire that we believe is unlikely or impossible in the present:
  • "I wish he would save money."
  • "I wish he could save money."
  • "If only he would save money."
  • "If only he could save money."
    not "I wish he will/can save money."
    I do not believe that he can/will save money, so this is an impossible desire about his ability in the present to save money.

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The subjunctive mood

Expressions using "wish" and "if only" are examples of the subjunctive mood, which is used to express unlikely or impossible desires (or recommendations, without "wish" / "if only"). In the subjunctive mood, we only use "were" (not "was"):

• with past simple of "be":
  • "I wish he were on holiday."
  • "If only he were on holiday."
  • (not "was here")
    He is not on holiday so this is an impossible desire in the present.
  
  
• with past continuous:
  • "I wish I were going on holiday."
  • "If only I were going on holiday."
  • (not "was going")
    I am not going on holiday so this desire is impossible in the present or future.

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Conditional clauses

We can use "wish" and "if only" to describe an imagined or impossible condition in the past or present followed by a main clause that describes the imagined result.

Second conditional structure (link to worksheet) for impossible desires in the present:

• "If only I didn't have a headache, I would/could go to the party tonight."
• "I wish I didn't have a headache, then I would/could go to the party tonight."
  The real situation and result: I do have a headache so the desired intention/ability in the present to go to the party is an imagined result.

Third conditional structure (link to worksheet):

• "If only I'd taken the train, I would have arrived at the destination by now."
• "I wish I'd taken the train; I would have arrived at the destination by now."
  The real situation and result: I did not take the train and I have not arrived at the destination so this is an imagined result in the past.

Form - "wish"

We use the present simple of "wish" to express a present desire for something in the future.

• To express a desire in a formal or polite tone:
  subject + "wish" + "to" + infinitive
  
  

  positive	I You We They	wish	to attend	the meeting.
  	He / She / It	wishes
  negative	I You We They	don't wish
  	He / She / It	doesn't wish

  
  

  question	Do	I you we they	wish	to attend	the meeting?
  	Does	he / she / it

  
  
• To express a desire:
  subject + "wish" + object pronoun
  
  

  positive	I You We They	wish	me you us them him / her / it	the best of luck.
  	He / She / It	wishes
  negative	I You We They	don't wish
  	He / She / It	doesn't wish

  
  

  question	Do	I you we they	wish	me you us them him / her / it	the best of luck?
  	Does	he / she / it

  
  
• We use the past simple of "wish" to describe a desire that was expressed in the past:
  • "She wished him the best of luck."

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Practice

Complete the sentences using "wish" and the verb in brackets (where applicable):

• I with the manager, please. (speak)
   
• She him a happy birthday.
   
• He at the conference. (not present)
   
• We you a happy anniversary.
   

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Form - "wish" / "if only"

We do not use "if only" in question form.

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Form:

• with past simple and subject pronoun to express an impossible desire in the present:
  
  "wish"
  
  

  positive	I You We They	wish	I you we they he / she / it	lived	in the countryside.
  	He / She / It	wishes
  negative	I You We They	don't wish
  	He / She / It	doesn't wish

  
  

  question	Do	I you we they	wish	I you we they he / she / it	lived	in the countryside?
  	Does	he / she / it

  
  "if only"
  
  

  positive	If only	I you we they he / she / it	lived	in the countryside.
  negative			didn't live

  
  
• with past perfect and subject pronoun to express a regret about the past:
  
  "wish"
  
  

  positive	I You We They	wish	I you we they he / she it	had eaten	the prawns.
  	He / She / It	wishes
  negative	I You We They	don't wish		hadn't eaten
  	He She It	doesn't wish

  
  

  question	Do	I you we they	wish	I you we they he / she / it	had eaten	the prawns?
  	Does	he / she / it			hadn't eaten	the prawns?

  
  "if only"
  
  

  positive	If only	I you we they he / she / it	had eaten	the prawns.
  negative			hadn't eaten

  
  
• with would / could and subject pronoun to express a strong desire that we believe is unlikely or impossible:
  
  "wish"
  
  

  positive	I You We They	wish	I you we they he / she / it	would save money. could speak Spanish.
  	He / She / It	wishes
  negative	I You We They	don't wish
  	He / She / It	doesn't wish

  
  

  question

  Do

  I you we they

  wish

  I you we they he / she / it

  would save money? could speak Spanish?

  
  "if only"
  
  

  positive	If only	I you we they he / she / it	would could	save money. speak Spanish.
  negative			wouldn't couldn't

The subjunctive mood

Form:

• with past simple of "be" and subject pronoun:
  
  "wish"
  
  

  positive	I You We They	wish	I you we they he / she it	were weren't	here.
  	He She It	wishes
  negative	I You We They	don't wish
  	He She It	doesn't wish

  
  

  question (positive and negative)	Do	I you we they	wish	I you we they he / she / it	were weren't	here?
  	Does	he / she / it

  
  "if only"
  
  

  positive	If only	I you we they he / she / it	were	here.
  negative			weren't

  
  
• with past continuous and subject pronoun:
  
  "wish"
  
  

  positive	I You We They	wish	I you we they he / she / it	were going weren't going	on holiday.
  	He / She / It	wishes
  negative	I You We They	don't wish
  	He / She / It	doesn't wish

  
  

  question	Do	I you we they	wish	I you we they he / she / it	were going weren't going	on holiday?
  	Does	he / she / it

  
  "if only"
  
  

  positive	If only	I you we they he / she / it	were going	on holiday.
  negative			weren't going

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Conditional clauses

• Second conditional structure (worksheet link):
  
  "if only"
  
  We can change the order of the conditional clause with no difference in meaning, for example:
  
  

  Conditional clause	Main clause
  "If only" + subject + past simple + comma	subject + "would" / "could"
  If only I didn't have a headache,	I would / could go to the party tonight.

  
  

  Main clause	Conditional clause
  Subject + "would" / "could"	"if only" + subject + past simple
  I would / could go to the party tonight	if only I didn't have a headache.

  
  
  "wish"
  
  We use "then" to show that the main clause is a direct result of the conditional clause. We can't reverse the order of the clauses as we can with "if only":
  
  

  Conditional clause with "wish"	Main clause
  Subject + "wish" + subject + past simple + comma	"then" + subject + "would" / "could"
  I wish I didn't have a headache	then I would/could go to the party tonight.

  
  
• Third conditional structure (worksheet link):
  
  "if only"
  
  We can change the order of the conditional clause with no difference in meaning, for example:
  
  

  Conditional clause	Main clause
  "If only" + subject + past perfect + comma	subject + "would have" / "could have"
  If only I had taken the train,	I would have / could have arrived by now.

  
  

  Main clause	Conditional clause
  Subject + "would" / "could"	"if only" + subject + past simple
  I would have / could have arrived by now	if only I had taken the train.

  
  
  "wish"
  
  We use a semicolon (;) to join the clauses in a single sentence. In this case we do not use "then" because the expectation/possibility about the time of arrival happens at the same time as taking the train. We can’t reverse the order of the clauses as we can with "if only":
  
  

  Conditional clause with "wish"	Main clause
  Subject + "wish" + subject + past perfect + semicolon	subject + "would have" / "could have"
  I wish I had taken the train;	I would have / could have arrived by now.

Further practice

Complete the sentences with the correct answer from a, b, c or d:

• They ____ hadn't taken the wrong turning.


if only they wishes them wish they if only them



• ____ had studied harder, he could have passed his exams.


If only he He wishes he He wish him If only him



• ____ spoke Spanish.


She wishes them She wishes she If only her If only them



• ____ her colleague ____ with her.


She wish / were If only / was She wishes / was If only / were



• She ____ harder to finish the project by the deadline.


wishes he was trying wish he were trying wishes he were trying wishes him were trying



• ____ earlier, they would have finished by now.


If only they had started She wish they had started If only them had started She wishes them had started

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