Introducción

"wish"

Se puede usar "wish":

• para expresar un deseo sobre algo que sucederá en el futuro en un tono formal y cortés:
  "I wish to attend the meeting."
• para desear algo a otra persona para el futuro, por lo general en ciertas expresiones tales como:
  "I wish him the best of luck." = le deseo la mejor de las suertes.

"wish" / "if only"

Se puede usar "wish" y "if only" para expresar un deseo poco probable o imposible o una queja:

• con el pasado simple para expresar un deseo imposible en la actualidad:
  • "I wish I lived in the countryside."
  • "If only I lived in the countryside." = ojalá viviera en el campo
    No vivo en el presente en el campo por lo que este deseo es ahora mismo imposible.
  
  
• con el pasado perfecto expresa un arrepentimiento por algo sucedido en el pasado:
  • "I wish I hadn't eaten the prawns."
  • "If only I hadn't eaten the prawns."
    Ojalá no hubiera comido aquellas gambas: me arrepiento de haber comido aquellas gambas en el pasado.
  
  
• con would/could para expresar un deseo que creemos que es poco probable o imposible en el 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."
    pero no "I wish he will/can save money."
    no creo que pueda / vaya a ahorrar dinero, así que esto es un deseo imposible dada su nula habilidad en el presente para ahorrar dinero.

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El modo subjuntivo

Las expresiones con "wish" e "if only" son ejemplos del modo subjuntivo, que se usan para expresar deseos improbables o imposibles (o recomendaciones, sin "wish" / "if only"). En el modo subjuntivo, se usa "were" (no "was"):

• con el pasado simple de "be":
  • "I wish he were on holiday."
  • "If only he were on holiday."
  • (pero no "was here")
    Él no está de vacaciones por lo que este es un deseo imposible en el presente.
  
  
• con el pasado continuo:
  • "I wish I were going on holiday."
  • "If only I were going on holiday."
  • (not "was going")
    No voy de vacaciones así que este deseo no es posible en el presente o el futuro.

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Cláusulas condicionales

Se puede usar "wish" e "if only" para describir una condición imaginada o imposible en el pasado o el presente seguida de una cláusula principal que describe el resultado imaginado.

Second conditional structure (link to worksheet) for impossible desires in the present: Estructura de la segunda condicional (link to worksheet ) enlace a ficha de trabajo,para expresar deseos imposibles en el 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 situación real y resultado: Tengo dolor de cabeza por lo que la deseaeda intención / posibilidad para ir a la fiesta en el presente es un resultado imaginado.

Third conditional structure (link to worksheet): Estructura de la tercera condicional (link to worksheet ) enlace a ficha de trabajo:

• "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 situación real y resultado: No cogí el tren y no he llegado al destino por lo que éste es un resultado imaginado en el pasado.

Forma - "wish"

Se usa el presente simple de "wish" para expresar un deseo en el presente para algo en el futuro.

• Para expresar un deseo en un tono formal y cortés:
  sujeto + "wish" + "to" + infinitivo
  
  

  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

  
  

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

  
  
• To express a desire:
  subject + "wish" + object pronoun Para expresar un deseo:
  sujeto + "wish" + pronombre objeto
  
  

  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

  
  

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

  
  
• Se usa el pasado simple de "wish" para describir un deseo expresado en el pasado:
  • "She wished him the best of luck."

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Práctica

Complete las frases con "wish" y el verbo entre paréntesis (en su caso):
.

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"

No se usa "if only" en forma interrogativa.

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Forma:

• con pasado simple y pronombre subjeto para expresar un deseo imposible en el 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

  
  

  interrogativo	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 pasado perfecto y el pronombre sujeto para expresar arrepentimiento por algo del pasado:
  
  "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

  
  

  interrogativo	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 y pronombre sujeto para expresar un fuerte deseo que creemos que es improbable o imposible:
  
  "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

  
  

  interrogativo

  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

El modo subjuntivo

Forma:

• con pasado simple de "be" y el pronombre sujeto:
  
  "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

  
  

  pregunta (afirmativo y negativo)	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 pasado continuo y pronombre sujeto :
  
  "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

  
  

  interrogativo	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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Cláusulas condicionales

• Estructura de segunda condicional (worksheet link)enlace a ficha de trabajo:
  
  "if only"
  
  Se puede cambiar el orden de la cláusula condicional sin que cambie el significado, por ejemplo:
  
  

  Cláusula condicional	Cláusula principal
  "If only" + sujeto + pasado simple + coma	Sujeto + "would" / "could"
  If only I didn't have a headache,	I would / could go to the party tonight.

  
  

  Cláusula principal	Cláusula condicional
  Sujeto + "would" / "could"	"if only" + sujeto + pasado simple
  I would / could go to the party tonight	if only I didn't have a headache.

  
  
  "wish"
  
  Se usa "then" para mostrar que la cláusula principal es un resultado directo de la cláusula condicional. No se puede invertir el orden de las cláusulas como con "if only":
  
  

  Cláusula condicional con "wish"	Cláusula principal
  Sujeto + "wish" + sujeto + pasado simple + coma	"then" + sujeto + "would" / "could"
  I wish I didn't have a headache	then I would/could go to the party tonight.

  
  
• Estructura del tercer conditional (worksheet link)enlace a ficha de trabajo:
  
  "if only"
  
  Se puede cambiar el orden de la cláusula condicional sin que cambie el significado, por ejemplo:
  
  

  Cláusula condicional	Cláusula principal
  "If only" + sujeto + pasado perfecto + coma	sujeto + "would have" / "could have"
  If only I had taken the train,	I would have / could have arrived by now.

  
  

  Cláusula principal	Cláusula condicional
  Sujeto + "would" / "could"	"if only" + sujeto + pasado simple
  I would have / could have arrived by now	if only I had taken the train.

  
  
  "wish"
  
  Se usa punto y coma (;) para unir cláusulas en una sola frase. En este caso no se usa "then" porque la expectativa / posibilidad acerca de la hora de llegada del tren sucede al mismo tiempo que el acto de coger el tren. No se puede invertir el orden de las cláusulas como con "if only":
  
  

  Cláusula condicional con "wish"	Cláusula principal
  Sujeto + "wish" + sujeto + pasado perfecto + punto y coma	sujeto + "would have" / "could have"
  I wish I had taken the train;	I would have / could have arrived by now.

Más práctica

Complete las frases con la respuesta correcta de a, b, c ó d:
.

1)

They ____ hadn't taken the wrong turning.
 

wish they

if only they

if only them

wishes them

 

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2)

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

He wish him

If only him

If only he

He wishes he

 

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3)

____ spoke Spanish.
 

If only them

She wishes she

If only her

She wishes them

 

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4)

____ her colleague ____ with her.
 

She wishes / was

If only / were

She wish / were

If only / was

 

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5)

She ____ harder to finish the project by the deadline.
 

wishes he was trying

wishes he were trying

wishes him were trying

wish he were trying

 

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6)

____ earlier, they would have finished by now.
 

If only they had started

She wishes them had started

She wish they had started

If only them had started

 

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Please submit the missing answers shown in red
 

Submit