Wish Clause

Wish Clause

Wish Clauses - Present Time

The Present Time

"Wish Clauses" are used to talk about our regrets. We have some situations we don't like and we would like to change them.  These situations may be in the present, future or past. 

Now, we are going to learn the present time - wish clauses in English.

How to form a wish clause sentence for the present:

Rule 1

For the Present Tenses or modals , we use the Simple Past Tense or Past Modals:

• (Situation: I know the truth.)   I wish I didn't know the truth.

• (Situation: She drinks cold water.)   I wish she didn't drinkcold water.

• (Situation: He can't swim.) He wishes he could swim.

Rule 2
If our situation is negative, we make a positive wish clause.

• (Negative Situation: They don't live in this city.) We wish they lived in this city.

Rule 3
If our situation is positive, we make a negative wish clause.

• (Positive Situation: Mary tells lies.) Her parents wish Mary didn't tell lies.

Rule 4
We usually use "were" instead of "was" in wish clauses.

• (Situation: I am sick.) I wish I weren't sick.

Example Sentences:

Present Situation	Our wishes
I am not ready for the test. She isn't at home.    They are coming with us. Ted is working now. It's snowing.    I don't know her phone number.   Mike tells lies all the time. He doesn't trust me. It rains a lot here. He hates me. Sam has to stay home tonight. I can't speak English.	I wish I were ready for the test. We wish she were at home. Sam wishes they weren't coming with us. He wishes Ted weren't working now. I wish it weren't snowing. I wish I knew her phone number. My friends wish Mike didn't tell lies. I wish he trusted me. Sally and Tom wish it didn't rain a lot here. I wish he didn't hate me. I wish Sam didn't have to stay home. I wish I could speak English.

Wish Clauses - Past Time

The Past Time

"Wish Clauses" are used to talk about our regrets. We have some situations we don't like and we would like to change them.  These situations may be in the present, future or past. 

Now, we are going to learn the past time - wish clauses in English.

How to form a wish clause sentence for the past:

 Rule 1

For the Simple Past Tense or Present Perfect Tense , we usethe Past Perfect Tense:

• (Situation: I made a mistake.)   I wish I hadn't made a mistake.

• (Situation: We haven't gone there on time.) We wish wehad gone there on time.

• (Situation: I was sick.) I wish I hadn't been sick.

Rule 2
If our situation is negative, we make a positive wish clause.

• (Negative Situation: I haven't seen that movie.) I wish I had seen that movie.

Rule 3
If our situation is positive, we make a negative wish clause.

• (Positive Situation: I failed the test.)  I wish I hadn't failed the test.

Example Sentences:

Situations	Our Wishes
He didn't call me yesterday. They lost all their money. He wasn't at the meeting. They were very rude. She failed the test. Tom and Larry were at home. She was sleeping when I came. I didn't check my homework. I couldn't get up early.	I wish he had called me yesterday. They wish they hadn't lost all their money. He wishes he had been at the meeting. We wish they hadn't been very rude. Her father wishes she hadn't failed the test. I wish Tom and Larry hadn't been at home. I wish she hadn't been sleeping. I wish I had checked my homework. I wish I could have got up early.

Wish Clauses with would - Future Time

The Future Time

We use wish + would  to show that we are unhappy for the current situation and want it to change soon. 

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

Uses:

    To complain about a behavior that we don't like.
    To show you are impatient, annoyed or dissatisfied with  a present action.

How to form a wish clause sentence for the future:

Situation:    It isn’t raining.Your wish:  I wish it would rain.
Situation:    She doesn’t write regularly.    Your wish:  I wish that she would write more regularly. 
Situation:   The workers won't help us.Your wish:  We wish they would help us.
Situation:    The kids are making too much noise.Your wish:  I wish they would be quiet.
Situation:    The boy keeps asking her strange questions.Your wish:  She wish he wouldn't do that.

     
More Example Sentences:

Present Situation	Our wishes
He never answers my letters. We don't lik ethe menu. They are bombimg the city for days. You are not coming with us. Sally wants to quit this job. It has been raining for 5 days. The baby is crying.	I wish he would answer my letters.      We wish they would change the menu.       Many People wish they would stop bombing the city. Mary wishes you would come with us. I wish Sally would change her mind. I wish it would stop raining. My wife wishes the baby would stop crying.

If only

If only - wish

"Wish" and "If only" have the same meaning and  both can be  used to talk about our present or past regrets – things that we would like to change.

Example Sentences:

Wish

If only

I wish she were at home. I wish they weren't coming with us. I wish Ted weren't working now. I wish it weren't snowing. I wish I knew her phone number. I wish he had called me yesterday. I wish they hadn't lost all their money. I wish he had been at the meeting. I wish they hadn't been very rude. I wish he would answer my letter.      I wish they would change the menu.    I wish they would stop bombing Iraq. I wish you would come with us.

If only she were at home. If only  they weren't coming with us. If only  Ted weren't working now. If only  it weren't snowing. If only  I knew her phone number. If only  he had called me yesterday. If only  they hadn't lost all their money. If only  he had been at the meeting. If only  they hadn't been very rude. If only  he would answer my letter.   If only  they would change the menu.    If only  they would stop bombing Iraq. If only  you would come with us.

Wish & If only clauses

How to use "wish" and "if only" in sentences

• I wish you were here.
• I wish I knew his address.
• I wish we had enough money.
• I wish you had a house.
• I wish I could lend you some money.
• I wish we could go there again.
• I wish Tom would stop smoking.
• I wish my daughter would learn English.
• I wish you would stop crying.
• I wish I had visited her yesterday.
• I wish he had driven more carefully.
• I wish I hadn't eaten so much.
• If only I were there.
• If only I could ride a bike.
• If only you hadn't told me lies.
• I wish I were rich.
• I wish I were younger.
• I wish it weren't so cold.
• I wish you could swim.
• I wish Tom had finished my homework yesterday.
• I wish I hadn't lost my wallet.
• I wish I felt better.
• I wish the government would lower the taxes.
• I wish it would stop raining.
• I wish we were in İstanbul.

FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH THE CORRECT FORMS OF THE VERBS IN BRACKETS
1. I wish I ______ (be) the manager of this company.

2. Peter wishes he ______ (not buy) that car.It breaks down so often and causes him trouble.

3. Asley's mother wishes she ______ (do) well in the final exams next week.

4. Larry wishes he ______ (be) on a spa holiday relaxing rather than working in the office now.

5. Mary feels homesick.She wishes she ______ (be) in her home with her parents now.

6. I wish you ______ (bring) me a glass of water.I am very thirsty.

7. Karen wishes her father ______ (not go) to Russia on business.She misses him.

8. It was a very hot and sunny.I wish I ______ (take) my sunglasses and sunlotion with me.

9. You look overweight.I wish you ______ (attend) a gym this summer.

10. My father wishes he ______ (not forget) to take the camera with him.The view was wonderful.

11. Joseph wishes he ______ (not cheat) in the exam.The teacher was very angry with him.

12. I wish I ______ (not speak) so loudly.My baby brother woke up.
13. Michael wishes his father ______ (give) him £100 for the school trip next month.

14. Mr.Parker wishes there ______ (not be) mosquitoes around.They bite him badly.

15. I wish people ______ (not cut) the trees any more.

16. My mother wishes I ______ (take) her to the hospital for her operation this weekend.

17. Timothy wishes she ______ (not eat) too many strawberries.She has got a terrible stomachache.

18. Pam wishes she ______ (have) an mp3 player. She could listen to music now.

19. I wish I ______ (know) more about cooking.I have to prepare something special for my guests.

20. We wish we ______ (win) the match next Sunday. We will be this year's champion then.

21. The students wish they ______ (study) more. They all got bad marks from the maths exam.

Choose the correct option for each sentence 

1. When I stopped talking, Sam finished my sentence for me as though he ---- my mind.

a)has read
b)had read
c)reads
d)can read

2. If you ----, I would have brought my friends over to your house last night to watch TV, but I didn't want to bother you.

a)have studied
b)studied
c)hadn't been studying
d)didn't study

3. I wish I --- you some money for your rent, but I'm broke myself.

a)can lend
b)would have lent
c)could lend
d)will lend

4. If someone ---- into the store, smile and say, "How may I help you?"

a)comes
b)will come
c)would come
d)could have come

5. "Are we lost?" "I think so. I wish we ---- a map with us."

a)were bringing
b)brought
c)had brought
d)would bring

6. "Here is my phone number." "Thanks. I will give you a call if I ---- some help tomorrow."

a)will need
b)need
c)would need
d)needed

7. If I weren't working for an accounting firm, I ---- in a bank.

a)work
b)will work
c)have worked
d)would be working

8. Ed invested a lot of money with a dishonest adviser, and lost nearly all of it. Now he is having serious financial problems. He --- in this position if he had listened to some of his friends.

a)will be
b)wouldn't be
c)won't be
d)hadn't been

9. The world ---- a better place now if we had known a hundred years ago what we know today about the earth's environment.

a)will be
b)was
c)can be
d)might be

10. The medicine made me feel dizzy. I felt as though the room ---- around and around.

a)were spinning
b)will spin
c)spins
d)would be spinning 

ANSWER KEY

1. I wish I were the manager of this company.

2. Peter wishes he hadn't bought that car.It breaks down so often and causes him trouble.

3. Asley's mother wishes she would do well in the final exams next week.

4. Larry wishes he were on a spa holiday relaxing rather than working in the office now.

5. Mary feels homesick.She wishes she were in her home with her parents now.

6. I wish you would bring me a glass of water.I am very thirsty.

7. Karen wishes her father hadn't gone to Russia on business.She misses him.

8. It was a very hot and sunny.I wish I had taken my sunglasses and sunlotion with me.

9. You look overweight.I wish you would attend a gym this summer.

10. My father wishes he hadn't forgotten to take the camera with him.The view was wonderful.

11. Joseph wishes he hadn't cheated in the exam.The teacher was very angry with him.

12. I wish I hadn't spoken so loudly.My baby brother woke up.

13. Michael wishes his father would give him £100 for the school trip next month.

14. Mr.Parker wishes there weren't mosquitoes around.They bite him badly.

15. I wish people wouldn't cut the trees any more.

16. My mother wishes I would take her to the hospital for her operation this weekend.

17. Timothy wishes she hadn't eaten too many strawberries.She has got a terrible stomachache.

18. Pam wishes she had an mp3 player. She could listen to music now.

19. I wish I knew more about cooking.I have to prepare something special for my guests.

20. We wish we would win the match next Sunday. We will be this year's champion then.

21. The students wish they had studied more. They all got bad marks from the maths exam.

1. had read
2. hadn't been studying
3. could lend
4. comes
5. had brought
6. need
7. would be working
8. wouldn't be
9. might be
10. were spinning