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I Wish If Only

This document discusses the use of wish and if only to express different types of wishes in English. It explains that wish is used with past tense forms to talk about present situations, could to talk about present abilities, and the past perfect to talk about past regrets. If only is more emphatic and follows the same patterns as wish. Examples are provided to illustrate the different structures.

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Alessa Deb
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335 views5 pages

I Wish If Only

This document discusses the use of wish and if only to express different types of wishes in English. It explains that wish is used with past tense forms to talk about present situations, could to talk about present abilities, and the past perfect to talk about past regrets. If only is more emphatic and follows the same patterns as wish. Examples are provided to illustrate the different structures.

Uploaded by

Alessa Deb
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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I wish, if only

https://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-2/exercise-english-5529.php

I wish, If only.

Wishes about the present

We use wish with past Tense forms (simple and continuous)


to express regret about present situations:
- I wish I was taller = (I’m not very tall)
- I wish I was going with you = (but I'm not)

I wish you were more help. = (you are not) I wish I were can
replace I wish I was.
To many people, I wish I were sounds more correct:
I wish I were taller.

We use wish with could to express a wish for a present


situation to be different:
I wish I could use a computer well.
X I wish I would tell her about it.
I wish I could tell her about it.

Past Simple  presentI wish I knew the answer. (= I don’t


know)
Past Simple present > I wish I was /were better at sports.
(= I'm not)
Past Continuous present  I wish I was /were going with
you. (= I'm not)
Could  present > I wish I could give you an answer. (= I
can't)
Would  future  I wish you would be quiet. (= Your talking
irritates me.)
Past Perfect  past > I wish I had known you then. (= but I
didn't)
Could have > past I wish I could have explained. (= I wasn't
able to)

Wishes about the future

We use wish with would to say how we would like somebody


to behave in the future:
X I wish you to stop talking.
/I wish you would stop talking.
X I wish that they will stop arguing.
/I wish they would stop arguing.

1
• We can also use this pattern in situations that do not involve
people:
I wish this car would go faster.

Wishes about the past

We use wish with the Past Perfect when we have


Regrets about the past:
I wish I hadn't taken your advice. (= but I did)
I wish she could have come. (= but she didn't)

If only

If only can be more emphatic than I wish. The verb forms


after if only are the same as the patterns with wish:
If only I had more money! (= but I haven't)
If only I was going on holiday with you!
If only you were here. (= but you re not)
If only the sun would come out!
If only you could be here! (= but you're not)
If only I'd listened to you! (=but I didn't )
If only he could have explained! (=but he wasn't able to)

Complete these sentences with the correct form of the


verb in brackets. Some sentences require a negation
and use the contractions in the negative form.

1. Bruce wishes he (have) more money so he


could buy a new sweater.

2. I wish I (be) taller so that I could be in the


basketball team.

3. I wish you (stop) watching television while I


am talking to you.

4. I wish you (do) that. It annoys me.

2
5. I wish the holidays (come) so we could go off
to the seaside.

6. Of course Tom wishes he (come) with us to


Paris, but he has to stay here.

7. I wish we (go) to the match on Saturday but


we're visiting my uncle.

8. I wish you (keep) your mouth shut yesterday.


Now Mary knows.

9. If only I (lose) all my money. Now I'm broke.

10. Peter is always late. If only he (turn up) on


time for a change!

Instructions: Choose the correct answer.

Q1 - I wish I ____ play the piano.

would

could

Q2 - I wish they ____ keep the noise down next door.

would

could

Q3 - I wish I _____ that yesterday.

didn't say

hadn't said

Either could be used here.

Q4 - I wish I ____ at home.

was

were

3
Either could be used here.

Q5 - I wish I _____ the time to go next week.

have

had

Either could be used here.

Q6 - She wishes she ____ come last Friday.

could come

could have come

Either could be used here.

Q7 - I wish ____ the manager.

see

seeing

to see

Q8 - He wished he ____ it yesterday.

didn't forget

hadn't forgotten

Q9 - I wish I _____, but I was so busy that I didn't have the time.

could have helped

could help

Either could be used here.

Q10 - I wish I _____, but I am so busy that I don't have the time.

could have helped

could help

Q11 - I wish ____ all the best.

to you

4
you

Either could be used here.

Q12 - I wish it ____ end soon.

will

would

Q13 - They wished he ____ come skiing with them, but he hadn't recovered from the
operation.

would

could

Either could be used here.

Q14 - Wish is a...

verb

noun

Both

Q15 - Is 'wish' a modal verb?

Yes

No

Q16 - 'Wish' can be replaced by....

If

If only

Either could be used here.

Q17 - I wish I ____ at home.

was

were

Either could be used here.

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