Expressing Wish

Expressing wish

When you wish that means you want to something or a situation to be different

There are three different ways of expressing wish depending on the situation

1. When you wish a current (present) situation to be different

For example:

Someone who is short wishes she were tall     or     someone who doesn’t have money wishes he had money

As you notice if we are supposed to express a current wish. We use the past simple of the verb

I am not tall        I wish I were taller           I don’t have money            I wish I had money

2. -      When you wish a past situation to be different. We call this regret  

• the verb in this case is in the past perfect

I didn’t study translation              I wish I had studied translation

I was careless. I lost my keys                I wish I hadn’t been careless

3. As you want someone to do something or stop doing it because you think he can we call this a desire

• We use would + the verb (stem) here because we mean the future

• Some time expressions for the future are ( someday, one day, soon, tomorrow, the next week/month/year…ect)

You want someone to stop shouting            I wish he would stop shouting / I wish he wouldn’t shout

You wish the government to ban smoking in public         I wish the government would ban smoking in public

Exercise:

Re-write sentence A so that it means the same as sentence B

1. The corrupt official is in the prison now

2. He wishes………………………………………………………………………..

1. You want government to punish corrupt officials

2. I wish ……………………………………………………………………………….

1. The ministry didn’t implement ethics at schools.

2. I wish……………………………………………………………………………….

1. You want the army to watch the borders

2. I wish……………………………………………………………………………..

1. Law makers didn’t take strict measures to fight bribery.

2. I wish………………………………………………………………………….....

1. I don’t have power to fight unethical behaviors

2. I wish……………………………………………………………………………..

1. Someone wish to live in corruption-free country soon

2. If only……………………………………………………………………….

1. The criminal wish the judge to give him a second chance

2. He wishes………………………………………………………………………..

1. He regretting having stolen the public funds

2. He wishes…………………………………………………………………………

1. Someone wishing to live without nepotism someday

2. He wishes………………………………………………………………………….

1. Someone wishing people to stop eating fast food.

2. I wish……………………………………………………………………………..

1. Someone wishing parliament to pass strict laws against corruption.

2. If only……………………………………………………………………………………..