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'Wish' and 'if only' express desires about hypothetical situations; 'if only' is more emphatic and dramatic.
Side-by-side comparison
"Wish" expresses a desire about something that differs from current reality. For present or future use the past simple; for the past use the past perfect.
I wish I had brought an umbrella, it is raining and I am completely soaked.
She wishes she could speak another language, she always admires people who are bilingual.
He wishes he had studied harder in school, now he finds certain subjects really difficult.
"If only" has the same meaning as "wish" but with a more dramatic and emotional tone. It expresses a deep desire with more intensity than the "wish" structure.
If only I had left ten minutes earlier. I just missed the bus by a matter of seconds.
If only the weather were nicer, we could have the birthday party out in the garden.
If only she had told me sooner. I could have helped before it became a big problem.
Common mistake
Three classic errors:
- 1."I wish I am taller" = wrong, for present use past tense: "I wish I were taller."
- 2."I wish I studied harder when I was young" = wrong for past regret, use past perfect: "I wish I had studied harder."
- 3."I wish she stops interrupting" = wrong, for desires about someone else's behavior use would: "I wish she would stop interrupting."
Trick to remember it
The three tenses of "wish":
- 1.present unreal = wish + past ("I wish I were taller"); past regret = wish + past perfect ("I wish I had studied"); desire for someone else to change = wish + would ("I wish she would stop").
- 2.Key: "wish" always speaks about what is not true, what IS true is the opposite of what you say.
Quick rule
- •Wish + past tense = present contrary-to-fact desire.
- •Wish + past perfect = past regret.
- •Wish + would = desire for another person to change.
- •"If only" = same as wish but more emphatic.
Did you know?
The use of the PAST tense of the verb to express HYPOTHETICAL situations about the PRESENT is one of the most fascinating phenomena in English grammar: verb tenses do not always mark time, they also mark reality versus hypothesis. In English, the subjunctive survived mainly in these few formal constructions and fixed expressions, while most of its functions were absorbed by modals like WOULD, COULD, and MIGHT.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
"_____ I had studied harder before the exam!" she said, regretting it.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"_____ I could speak Spanish! It would be so useful for this trip."
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One desires something possible, the other desires something impossible or contrary to reality.
Both translate "esperar" but with different certainty: "hope" is an uncertain wish; "expect" is a near-certain anticipation.
The second conditional expresses imaginary present or future situations; the third expresses past situations that did not happen.
"Wish" is to desire something unlikely or impossible; "want" is to desire something possible and real.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy