1. Wishing life was different
To talk about things you wish were different, use:
- subject + ‘wish’ + past tense
The past tense section expresses what the subject wants.
*Note: although the past tense is used, it is talking about things now. This is because ‘wish’ moves tenses backwards.
| Problem | Subject + wish | Wish | Want (past tense) | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I have a small house | I | wish | I had a bigger house | I wish I had a bigger house. |
| Joan has no car | Joan | wishes | she owned a car | Joan wishes she owned a car. |
| You have to work | You | wish | you didn’t have to work | I know you wish you didn’t have to work. |
| The class gets bad test scores | The class | wishes | it got better test scores | The class wishes it got better test scores. |
2. Wish + ‘can’
If a subject cannot do something, but wishes they can do something:
- subject + wish + ‘could’ phrase
*’Could’ replaces ‘can’
| Problem | Subject | Wish | Want to be able to (‘could’ phrase) | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I cannot fly | I | wish | I could fly | I wish I could fly. |
| You can see me | You | wish | You couldn’t see me | I bet you wish you couldn’t see me. |
| The council cannot afford a new city hall | The council | wishes | it could afford a new city hall | The council wishes it could afford a new city hall. |
3. Wish + ‘will’
If something is not happening, and a subject wishes it will happen (i.e. behaviour change):
- subject + wish + ‘would’ phrase
*‘Would’ replaces ‘will’
*Note: this wish is for wanting something to happen (behaviour change), not a future tense. To express a desire for a future event to happen, ‘hope’ is the usual structure (e.g. They hope I will call them tomorrow).
| Problem | Subject | Wish | Behaviour change (‘would’ phrase) | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The children keep shouting in the house | Their parents | wish | the children would stop shouting in the house | Their parents wish the children would stop shouting in the house. |
| He will not look at her | She | wishes | he would look at her | She wishes he would look at her. |
| She will keep calling Sean | Sean | wishes | she wouldn’t keep calling him | Sean wishes she wouldn’t keep calling him. |
4. Exercises
Complete these sentences using the wish + past tense structure:
a) I wish I …
b) Daniel wishes he …
c) My boss wishes I ….
d) I wish my boss …
2. What things do you wish were different in the world?