Wish Statements
20 April 2014 by Diane
Wishes about the present and future
We use wish + past simple to express that we want a situation in the present (or future) to be different.
- I wish I spoke Italian. (I don't speak Italian.)
- I wish I had a big car. (I don't have a big car.)
- I wish I *were a superhero!
* Notice we use “I were” for statements that are impossible or very unlikely.
We use wish + past continuous to express that we want to be doing a different action in the present (or future).
- I wish I was lying on a beach now. (I'm sitting in the office.)
- I wish it wasn't raining. (It is raining.)
- I wish you weren't leaving tomorrow. (You are leaving tomorrow.)
Wishes about the past
We use wish + past perfect to express a regret, or that we want a situation in the past to be different.
o I wish I hadn't eaten so much. (I ate a lot.)
o I wish I had studied harder at school. (I was lazy at school.)
