In this English lesson you learn how we use Wish and If Only in English.
The first structure we are going to look at is:
wish + past tense for imaginary situations in the present
Examples:
- Ted wishes he had a new motorcycle.
- Jenny wishes she was/were smarter.
- She wishes her brother didn’t drink so much alcohol.
- Eddie wishes it was/were warmer. He likes the heat.
- Mum wishes she could stay for longer.
wish + you, he, she, they + would
- The teacher wishes you would stop complaining.
- She wishes her husband would not spend so much time at the office.
- He wishes she would look for another place to live.
We use ‘would’ for reasonable actions but NOT for impossible situations.
Examples:
He wishes you would shut up.
but we cannot say:
He wishes that he would be younger.
If only
If only is similar to wish but it is stronger in meaning.
Examples:
- If only I had gone to university.
- If only you wouldn’t try so hard.
So, there you go. That is how we use wish and if only in English.
Here’s another grammar lesson for you to look at.
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