I wish, If only.

 

 

Wishes about the present

 

We use wish with past Tense forms (simple and continuous) to express regret about present situations:

- I wish I wastaller = (I’m not very tall)

- I wish I was goingwith you = (but I'm not)

 

I wish you weremore help. = (you are not) I wish I were can replace I wish I was.

To many people, I wish I were sounds more correct:

I wish I weretaller.

 

We use wish with could to express a wish for a present situation to be different:

I wish I could use a computer well.

X I wish I would tell her about it.

I wish I could tell her about it.

 

Past SimpleèpresentèI wish I knewthe answer. (= I don’t know)

Past SimpleèpresentèI wish I was /werebetter at sports. (= I'm not)

Past ContinuousèpresentèI wish I was /were goingwith you. (= I'm not)

CouldèpresentèI wish I couldgive you an answer. (= I can't)

Wouldèfuture èI wish you wouldbe quiet. (= Your talking irritates me.)

Past PerfectèpastèI wish I had knownyou then. (= but I didn't)

Could haveèpastèI wish I could haveexplained. (= I wasn't able to)

 

Wishes about the future

 

We use wish with would to say how we would like somebody to behave in the future:

X I wish you to stop talking.

/I wishyou would stoptalking.

X I wish that they will stop arguing.

/I wish they would stoparguing.

 

• We can also use this pattern in situations that do not involve people:

I wishthis car would gofaster.

 

Wishes about the past

 

We use wish with the Past Perfect when we have

Regrets about the past:

I wishI hadn't takenyour advice. (= but I did)

I wishshe could havecome. (= but she didn't)

 

If only

 

If only can be more emphatic than I wish. The verb forms after if only are the same as the patterns with wish:

If onlyI hadmore money! (= but I haven't)

If onlyI was goingon holiday with you!

If onlyyou werehere. (= but you re not)

If onlythe sun would come out!

If onlyyou could be here! (= but you're not)

If onlyI'd listenedto you! (=but I didn't )

If onlyhe could haveexplained! (=but he wasn't able to)