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Klavier Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
About wish
Hello, I found this examples and explanations about the use of wish when wish indicates that the speaker wants reality to be different:
Present -> past tense verb / BE = were
Glenn wishes Monica liked to hike. (but she doesn't)
MN wishes she weren’t so short. (but she is)
Leif wishes he could speak Japanese fluently. (but he can't)
Past -> past perfect
MN wishes she had learned Spanish when she was young. (but she didn't)
Emily wishes she could have taken ballet lessons last year when her friend took them. (but she couldn't)
Future -> would + simp. verb / could + simp. verb / were + verb-ing
MN wishes her husband would take her dancing tonight. (he might, but he might not)
Sigurd wishes he could study Spanish in Costa Rica next summer. (but he believes he can't)
Haakon wishes his friend were coming to Seattle during the quarter break. (but he isn't)
Use wish ... would to express dissatisfaction or irritation because somebody keeps on doing something that you don't like or an unpleasant situation persists.
Carl wishes Mary Nell wouldn’t go shopping so often. (Mary Nell has a habit of going shopping a lot.)
Jon wishes Melinda wouldn’t leave her toys in the living room. (Melinda often leaves her toys in the living room.)
I wish you would stop making that noise. It is annoying me.
So, My question is, can I use the past tense of wish with this pattern?:
Glenn wished Monica liked to hike.
MN wished she had learned Spanish when she was young.
MN wished her husband would take her dancing tonight.
Sigurd wished he could study Spanish in Costa Rica next summer.
Haakon wished his friend were coming to Seattle during the quarter break.
Carl wished Mary Nell wouldn’t go shopping so often.
Thanks for your help, it has helped me a lot so far.
Present -> past tense verb / BE = were
Glenn wishes Monica liked to hike. (but she doesn't)
MN wishes she weren’t so short. (but she is)
Leif wishes he could speak Japanese fluently. (but he can't)
Past -> past perfect
MN wishes she had learned Spanish when she was young. (but she didn't)
Emily wishes she could have taken ballet lessons last year when her friend took them. (but she couldn't)
Future -> would + simp. verb / could + simp. verb / were + verb-ing
MN wishes her husband would take her dancing tonight. (he might, but he might not)
Sigurd wishes he could study Spanish in Costa Rica next summer. (but he believes he can't)
Haakon wishes his friend were coming to Seattle during the quarter break. (but he isn't)
Use wish ... would to express dissatisfaction or irritation because somebody keeps on doing something that you don't like or an unpleasant situation persists.
Carl wishes Mary Nell wouldn’t go shopping so often. (Mary Nell has a habit of going shopping a lot.)
Jon wishes Melinda wouldn’t leave her toys in the living room. (Melinda often leaves her toys in the living room.)
I wish you would stop making that noise. It is annoying me.
So, My question is, can I use the past tense of wish with this pattern?:
Glenn wished Monica liked to hike.
MN wished she had learned Spanish when she was young.
MN wished her husband would take her dancing tonight.
Sigurd wished he could study Spanish in Costa Rica next summer.
Haakon wished his friend were coming to Seattle during the quarter break.
Carl wished Mary Nell wouldn’t go shopping so often.
Thanks for your help, it has helped me a lot so far.
Top answer
Yes, you can, Latin.
- Yes, you can, Latin.
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5 Answers
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I have a little problem only with these two, which seem to me to be mixing the past with the present or future.
MN wished her husband would take her dancing *tonight. I'd say "that night".
Sigurd wished he could study Spanish in Costa Rica *next summer. I'd say "the following summer".
"wish" is a little peculiar, so these may sound fine to others.
MN wished her husband would take her dancing *tonight. I'd say "that night".
Sigurd wished he could study Spanish in Costa Rica *next summer. I'd say "the following summer".
"wish" is a little peculiar, so these may sound fine to others.
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I think what you explain Califjim sounds good to me, because we are talking about someone who wished something in the past that didn't happened.
Her husband didn't take her dancing that night.
He didn't study Spabnish the following summer.
I suppose this is the interpretation, I'm not the teacher here
Her husband didn't take her dancing that night.
He didn't study Spabnish the following summer.
I suppose this is the interpretation, I'm not the teacher here
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Hola, me again. I'd like to know what tense are referring to these sentences or are they wrong?:
I wish I have said that.
I wish I would have said that.
I wish I have said that.
I wish I would have said that.
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Hola,
I agree with Jim on this, Latin. You're right that MN and Sigurd wished in the past, but the time references should shift as well, and I would write 'that night' and 'the fol
MN wished her husband would take her dancing *tonight. I'd say "that night".
Sigurd wished he could study Spanish in Costa Rica *next summer. I'd say "the following summer".
I agree with Jim on this, Latin. You're right that MN and Sigurd wished in the past, but the time references should shift as well, and I would write 'that night' and 'the fol
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