Introduzione

"wish"

Possiamo usare "wish":

• per esprimere un desiderio per qualcosa in futuro con un tono formale o educato:
  "I wish to attend the meeting."
• per esprimere un desiderio per qualcosa in futuro per qualcun altro, di solito usando espressioni fisse:
  "I wish him the best of luck."

"wish" / "if only"

Possiamo usare "wish" e "if only" per esprimere un desiderio improbabile o impossibile o un rimorso:

• con il past simple per esprimere un desiderio impossibile nel presente:
  • "I wish I lived in the countryside."
  • "If only I lived in the countryside."
    Al momento non vivo in campagna quindi questo desiderio è impossibile.
  
  
• con il past perfect per esprimere un rimorso riguardo al passato:
  • "I wish I hadn't eaten the prawns."
  • "If only I hadn't eaten the prawns."
    Mi pento di aver mangiato i gamberi in passato.
  
  
• con would/could per esprimere un desiderio che consideriamo improbabile o impossibile al presente:
  • "I wish he would save money."
  • "I wish he could save money."
  • "If only he would save money."
  • "If only he could save money."
    non "I wish he will/can save money."
    Non credo che lui possa risparmiare/risparmierà, quindi questo è un desiderio impossibile sulla sua capacità di risparmiare al presente.

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Il modo congiuntivo

Espressioni che usano "wish" e "if only" sono esempi del modo congiuntivo, che viene usato per esprimere desideri improbabili o impossibili (o raccomandazioni, senza "wish" / "if only"). Nel modo congiuntivo, usiamo solo "were" (non "was"):

• con il past simple di "be":
  • "I wish he were on holiday."
  • "If only he were on holiday."
  • (non "was here")
    Lui non è in vacanza quindi questo è un desiderio impossibile nel presente.
  
  
• con il past continuous:
  • "I wish I were going on holiday."
  • "If only I were going on holiday."
  • (non "was going")
    Non sto andando in vacanza quindi questo desiderio è impossibile nel presente o nel futuro.

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Proposizioni condizionali

Possiamo usare "wish" e "if only" per descrivere una condizione immaginata o impossibile nel passato o nel presente seguita da una proposizione principale che descrive un risultato immaginato.

Struttura second conditional (link agli esercizi) per desideri impossibili nel presente:

• "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."
  La vera situazione e il risultato: ho mal di testa quindi la possibilità/intenzione desiderata nel presente di andare alla festa è un risultato immaginato.

Struttura third conditional (link agli esercizi):

• "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."
  La vera situazione e il risultato: non ho preso il treno e non sono arrivato a destinazione quindi questo è il risultato immaginato nel passato.

Forma - "wish"

Usiamo il present simple di "wish" per esprimere un desiderio presente per qualcosa nel futuro.

• Per esprimere un desiderio con tono formale o educato:
  soggetto + "wish" + "to" + infinito
  
  

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

  
  

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

  
  
• Per esprimere un desiderio:
  soggetto + "wish" + pronome oggetto
  
  

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

  
  

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

  
  
• Usiamo il past simple di "wish" per descrivere un desiderio che è stato espresso in passato:
  • "She wished him the best of luck."

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Pratica

Completa le frasi usando "wish" e il verbo tra parentesi (dove applicabile):
.

1)

I    with the manager, please. (speak)

 

2)

She    him a happy birthday.

 

3)

He    at the conference. (not present)

 

4)

We    you a happy anniversary.

 

Please submit the missing answers shown in red
 

Submit

Forma - "wish" / "if only"

Non usiamo "if only" nella forma interrogativa.

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Forma:

• con past simple e pronome soggetto per esprimere un desiderio impossibile nel presente:
  
  "wish"
  
  

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

  
  

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

  
  "if only"
  
  

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

  
  
• con past perfect e pronome soggetto per esprimere un rimorso riguardo al passato:
  
  "wish"
  
  

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

  
  

  domanda	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"
  
  

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

  
  
• con would / could e pronome soggetto per esprimere un forte desiderio che consideriamo improbabile o impossibile:
  
  "wish"
  
  

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

  
  

  domanda

  Do

  I you we they

  wish

  I you we they he / she / it

  would save money? could speak Spanish?

  
  "if only"
  
  

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

Il modo congiuntivo

Forma:

• con past simple di "be" e pronome soggetto:
  
  "wish"
  
  

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

  
  

  interrogativa (positiva e negativa)	Do	I you we they	wish	I you we they he / she / it	were weren't	here?
  	Does	he / she / it

  
  "if only"
  
  

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

  
  
• con past continuous e pronome soggetto:
  
  "wish"
  
  

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

  
  

  domanda	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"
  
  

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

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Proposizioni condizionali

• Struttura second conditional (link agli esercizi):
  
  "if only"
  
  Possiamo cambiare l'ordine della subordinata condizionale senza cambiamenti nel significato, per esempio:
  
  

  Subordinata ipotetica	Proposizione principale
  "If only" + soggetto + past simple + virgola	Soggetto + "would" / "could"
  If only I didn't have a headache,	I would / could go to the party tonight.

  
  

  Proposizione principale	Subordinata ipotetica
  Soggetto + "would" / "could"	"if only" + soggetto + past simple
  I would / could go to the party tonight	if only I didn't have a headache.

  
  
  "wish"
  
  Usiamo "then" per esprimere che la proposizione principale è un risultato diretto della subordinata condizionale. Non possiamo invertire l'ordine delle proposizioni come con "if only":
  
  

  Subordinata condizionale con "wish"	Proposizione principale
  Soggetto + "wish" + soggetto + past simple + virgola	"then" + soggetto + "would" / "could"
  I wish I didn't have a headache	then I would/could go to the party tonight.

  
  
• Struttura third conditional (link agli esercizi):
  
  "if only"
  
  Possiamo cambiare l'ordine della subordinata condizionale senza cambiamenti nel significato, per esempio:
  
  

  Subordinata ipotetica	Proposizione principale
  "If only" + soggetto + past perfect + virgola	soggetto + "would have" / "could have"
  If only I had taken the train,	I would have / could have arrived by now.

  
  

  Proposizione principale	Subordinata ipotetica
  Soggetto + "would" / "could"	"if only" + soggetto + past simple
  I would have / could have arrived by now	if only I had taken the train.

  
  
  "wish"
  
  Usiamo un punto e virgola (;) per unire le proposizioni in una frase unica. In questo caso non usiamo "then" perchè l'aspettativa/la possibilità sull'orario di arrivo capita allo stesso momento in cui si prende il treno. Non possiamo invertire l'ordine delle proposizioni come con "if only":
  
  

  Subordinata condizionale con "wish"	Proposizione principale
  Soggetto + "wish" + soggetto + past perfect + punto e virgola	soggetto + "would have" / "could have"
  I wish I had taken the train;	I would have / could have arrived by now.

Ulteriore pratica

Completa le frasi con la risposta corretta tra a, b, c o d:
.

1)

They ____ hadn't taken the wrong turning.
 

wishes them

wish they

if only them

if only they

 

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2)

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

He wish him

He wishes he

If only him

If only he

 

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3)

____ spoke Spanish.
 

She wishes them

If only her

If only them

She wishes she

 

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4)

____ her colleague ____ with her.
 

If only / was

If only / were

She wishes / was

She wish / were

 

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5)

She ____ harder to finish the project by the deadline.
 

wishes him were trying

wish he were trying

wishes he were trying

wishes he was trying

 

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6)

____ earlier, they would have finished by now.
 

If only they had started

If only them had started

She wishes them had started

She wish they had started

 

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Please submit the missing answers shown in red
 

Submit