Bilbao School » GRAMMAR SECTION: WISHES GRAMMAR SECTION: WISHES – Bilbao School of English
GRAMMAR

GRAMMAR SECTION: WISHES

Esta semana desde la Academia Inglés Bilbao School te explicamos la forma gramatical “Wishes” y te damos unos ejercicios para completar.

 

GRAMMAR SECTION: WISHES

 

We use wish to refer to expresses a desire for a situation that doesn’t exist now. It’s used for things which are impossible or very unlikely. If you want to express a desire about the future, we use hope instead of wish.

 

There are five wish forms in the English language.

 

Wish + past simple

 

This is for wishes about the past, present or future, or just generally.

 

a) I wish I had purple eyes.

 

 

Wish + past perfect

 

This form shows regret for past actions that did or did not happen.

 

b) I wish I hadn’t bought this dress.

 

 

Wish + would

 

This is a form that allows you to show that you do not like or disapprove of other people’s behaviour. It allows you to criticise or complain about something.

 

c) I wish you wouldn’t drink so much alcohol! It’s bad for your health.

 

*NOTE It is INCORRECT to say ‘I wish I would’.

 

 

Wish + could

 

It is not possible to say ‘I wish I would…’, but it is possible to say ‘I wish I could…’. Use this form to express a hypothetical situation about the present or future.

 

d) I wish I could wear my old clothes again, but I’ve put on so much weight.

 

 

Wish + infinitive

 

This is a very formal style, which we don’t use very often.

 

e) I wish to travel first class. Are there any seats available?

 

 

Exercise 1.- Grammar

 

Complete the sentence with the word in brackets

 

a) I wish you _____________ (be)  Your room is always messy.

 

b) I wish I _____________ (buy) that Ferrari last year. It is very expensive to maintain.

 

c) I wish you would _____________ (listen) to me. I always have to repeat myself.

 

d) He wishes he _____________(not say) that to her. She hasn’t stopped crying for days.

 

e) My mother wishes she ____________ (have) more children now that we have grown up!

 

f) I wish you _____________ (leave) your clothes on the bathroom floor.

 

g) I wish I _____________ (have) straight hair. These curls are difficult to manage.

 

h) I wish I _____________ (study) more at school. Then I might have gone to university and had a better job today.

 

Accede mediante el siguiente enlace a la explicación gramatical del mes pasado sobre «Participle clauses«

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