wish and if only lesson English for beginner

english

1. Wishes: ‘wish’
and ‘if only’

2. Whoa!
The structure of sentences using "I wish"
and "If only" depends on what kind of wish
you're expressing: a present desire, a regret
about the past, or an annoyance about
someone's behavior. Here's a breakdown:

3. Wishing for a Different Present:
Structure: "I wish/If only + Subject + Past Tense Verb"
Verb Tense: We use the past tense, even though
you're talking about the present, because the situation
you wish for isn't happening now.
Example: "I wish I lived on the beach." (You don't live on the beach
currently.)
Example: "If only it weren't raining today." (It is raining today, but you wish
it wasn't.)

4. Regretting the Past:
Structure: "I wish/If only + Subject + Past Perfect Tense
Verb"
Verb Tense: We use the past perfect tense to express a
desire to change something that already happened in
the past.
Example: "I wish I had studied harder for my exams." (You didn't study
hard in the past, and now you regret it.)
Example: "If only we had gone on that trip to Italy." (The trip to Italy didn't
happen, and you wish it had.)

5. Expressing Annoyance (with "wish")
Structure: "I wish + Subject + would/wouldn't + verb"
Focus: This structure is used to show annoyance with someone
or something's behavior that you want to change.
Verb Tense: Here, we use "would" for an ongoing habit you
wish would stop and "wouldn't" for something you wish would
happen more often.
Example: "I wish my neighbor would turn down their
music at night." (They constantly play loud music at
night.)
Example: "I wish it would rain more often here." (It rarely
rains where you live.)

6. Additional Points:
Remember, the key to using "wish" and "if only" correctly is
understanding the verb tense that matches the kind of wish
you're expressing.
"If only" can sometimes sound a bit stronger than "I wish," conveying a deeper regret
or longing.
With future wishes, you can use "could" or "would" after "wish" or "if only" to express
what you hope might happen. (e.g., "If only I could win the lottery!")

7. to be
verbs rule
When "I wish" and "If only" are used with
"to be" verbs, the situation is a little
different. Here's what you need to know:

8. Wishing for a Different Present (to be verbs):
We still use the past subjunctive mood, which often appears as
the past tense of "to be" (were/weren't) for first, second, and third
person singular subjects ("I," "you," "he," "she," "it").
This might seem counterintuitive because it's not technically the
past tense but a special form used for wishes about the present.
Example: "I wish I were taller." (You aren't tall now, but you wish you
were.)
Example: "If only it weren't so cold outside." (It is cold outside, but you wish
it wasn't.)

9. Regretting the Past (to be verbs):
The structure remains the same: "I wish/If only +
Subject + Past Perfect Tense Verb"
But for "to be" verbs, the past perfect tense uses
"had been."
Example: "I wish I had been more confident during the interview."
(You weren't confident enough, and now you regret it.)
Example: "If only we hadn't been so busy last summer." (You were
busy last summer, and now you wish you hadn't been.)

10. Here's a table to summarize the
usage:
Wishing for a Different
Present
Regretting the Past
SITUATION STRUCTURE TENSE FOR ‘TO BE VERB’
I wish / If only + Subject
+ Verb
I wish / If only + Subject +
Past Perfect
Past Subjunctive
(were/weren't)
Had been
Remember, this subjunctive mood ("were" instead of "was") only applies to singular subjects in the
present tense with "wish" and "if only." Plural subjects and all subjects in other tenses will use the normal
past tense ("was/were").

11. Thanks!