I wish: rule in English

In English, difficulties arise with I wish. The rules help to understand the features of the use of this phrase.

Starting to study this construction, it is necessary to know the types of conditional sentences. Repeat them before you get acquainted with this expression.

Literary translation I wish from English intoRussian - "I'm sorry." However, when we say I wish, it is literally translated as "I wish." For example, I wish my Mom were here - I wish my mom was here (It's a pity my mom is not here).

Regret about the events in the present

Let's say that we want to say that we regret something that we did in the present tense, and we want the result to be different.

For this, the following rule exists: I wish + the verb in Past Simple.

Remember that the verb to be will be used in the form were (even with the subject of a third person)! Learn this rule: I wish AND were / she were / he were / it were.

Imagine the situation:Today the student speaks at a school concert. Any child will wait for his parents to come and look at him. But suddenly it turns out that mom and dad could not get off work and come see the concert. Arriving home, you can express your regret:

• I wish you, Mom and Dad, were at the school concert today. - What a pity that you, Mom and Dad, were not at the school concert today. (I wish you were at a school concert today).

Please note that the event has already taken place, andthe moment of time - today - has not yet expired. And if the event happened yesterday, then the moment left, so another time will be used with the I wish. The rule in English for the past tense will be learned further.

Note that the English sentence is affirmative, and the Russian proposal is negative. It is because of this difference that there is confusion: you begin to remember how to say in your native language, making a mistake in speech.

Regretting events in the past

And if we regret some past events? For this, the second part uses the verb in time Past Perfect, it is also called pre-passed.

For clarity, let us use the same example,Only a little it will change. Imagine that the school concert was on Friday, and on the weekend you will have to go to your grandmother. Returning home, and seeing your parents, express regret that two days ago they could not get to the concert:

• I wish you, Mom and Dad, had been at the school concert two days ago - It's a pity that you, Mom and Dad, were not at the school concert two days ago.

You want it to be different, but this can not be changed: the event was in the past.

Expressing dissatisfaction with I want

But expressing displeasure, use the expression "I wish smb would ...". Interestingly, this phrase can be reproached for all but yourself. That is, the expression "I wish I would" does not exist!

Saying this phrase, you show your irritation with what is happening. Imagine that you are preparing for important exams, and the younger brother, for example, runs around the house and makes noise. Tell him:

• I wish you would be quiet! I have an important exam tomorrow! "Could you talk so quietly?" I have an important exam tomorrow! (I want you to be quieter).

Expressing helplessness with the phrase I wish

Just imagine:week sick, but you need to find out your homework. Called a neighbor on the desk, and he, it turns out, forgot to write it down and can not help. In this case, instead, express your regret as follows:

• I wish you could know our homework assignment. - It is a pity that you do not know what they asked us (I want you to know our homework).

Usage rule: I wish + could + infinitive. Note that the part to is omitted.

If only: regret about the events in the present

To express regret, we can replace with another expression the phrase I wish - If only. The rules will be slightly different. Let's try to understand the difference in use.

If only use to emphasize the unreality of desire. When you want to change something, but it's impossible:

• If only I weren "t so frustrated." - If I were not so depressed right now (I'm sorry that I'm depressed right now, in the present).
• If only it weren "t snowing. - If it was not snowing right now. (He is walking now, but I do not want it).
• If only she was not so rude with him. (She is rude to him right now, but I do not want it to be that way).
• If only I had this phone. "If only I had this phone." (I need it for a second).

This phrase expresses a stronger emotion than the phrase I wish. It shows the hopelessness, the inability to change anything.

Grammar in the sentence will be the same as in the sentence I wish: If only + Past Simple (verb in the second form).

However, note that the affirmative sentence in Russian will be affirmative also in English, unlike the sentence beginning with I wish. The negative will be negative.

If only: regret about the past

When we want to show our regret of events that happened in the past, we use the time of Past Perfect (had + verb in the third form):

• If only I had not chattered like a magpie(stable expression, it matters - to crack like forty)! "Oh, if I did not talk like a magpie then!" (I'm sorry that I was chatting, but now it does not change)
• If only I had a bicycle. "Oh, if only I had a bicycle!" (I needed it a long time, not now)
• If only my grandmother had won that musical contest! "Oh, if only my grandmother did not win this musical competition!" (I regret that she won then)
• If only she had read this article! "Oh, if only she had read this article!" (Then it would be good for her, but now everything would be different)

Summarize:

To express regret for something at a given time, we use the simple past tense: If only + Past Simple (verb in the second form on the tablet of irregular verbs).

To express regret for something that happened in the past, you need to use past past time: If only + Past Perfect (had + verb in the third form on the same tablet).

Substitution If only on I wish

You can replace the phrase If only with I wish. The semantic load of a sentence from this will not change. See for yourself:

• I wish I weren "t so frustrated." "If I were not so depressed now.
• I wish it weren "t snowing. - If it was not snowing now.

• "If only she was not so rude to him."
• I wish I had this phone. "If only I had this phone."

And in the past tense:

• I wish I hadn "t chattered like a magpie!" "Oh, if I did not talk like a magpie then!"
• I wish I had had a bicycle. "Oh, if I had a bicycle!"
• I wish my grandmother had won that musical contest! "Oh, if only my grandmother did not win this musical competition!"
• I wish she had read this article! "Oh, if only she had read this article!"

We see that the structure of the proposal is almost unchanged. The phrase If only is replaced by the phrase I wish, and the rest of the sentence remains unchanged.

Examples If only / I wish with translation: present

Let's try to follow the use of I wish / If only in the present tense with examples:

• I wish you the me of the future. - It's a pity that today I did not attend the exhibition, about which you told me.
• I wish she did not "t forget about today" s meeting. "What a pity that she forgot about today's meeting."
• I wish our teacher did not fall ill and came. "" How I wish that our teacher fell ill today and did not come.
• I wish my sister "s cat didn" t disappear. She's so worried. "" It's a pity that my sister's cat is gone today. "She's very worried.
• If only it did not happen today (rain cats and dogs - an English idiom, it matters - a heavy downpour, pour out like a bucket)
• If only my mother did not forbid me to go to the movies tonight.
• If only I knew the answer to the question. "Oh, if only I knew the answer to this question!"
• If only I could repair cars! "Oh, if I were to repair cars!"

Examples I wish / If only with translation: elapsed time

And now look at examples of the use of these phrases in the past tense:

• I wish we had met in the cafe then. - I'm sorry that we did not meet at the cafe.
• I wish she had understood what I had meant. "I'm sorry that she did not understand what I meant."
• I wish her brother had won those contest. - I'm sorry that her brother did not win in that competition.
• I wish she had rallied her thoughts and got a good mark at the exam. - I'm sorry that she did not manage to concentrate on the exam and get a good evaluation.
• If only I had learned this rule. "If only I had learned this rule then."
• If only we had kept an eye for him. "If only we had not kept our eyes off him."
• If only we had ticked him off the list. "If only we crossed it out of the list."
• If only I had not been cheated so obviously at the exam.-If only I had not so openly cheated on the exam.
• If only I had not gotten "2" in Maths. - If only I had not got a deuce in mathematics.
• "If only he had not given my favorite shirt to this dry cleaners."

Recommendations

Experiencing difficulties in memorizing the structure Iwish? The rules of using this expression are easy to remember if you write several sentences every day. Even if the offers are simple, do not worry! The main thing is to fix the grammatical structure in your head.

Speak aloud those sentences thatrecorded. Soon you will be able to invent them yourself without first writing it. And do the exercises: the more you write, the faster and better you remember.