0
Diamondrg Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

I wish

I wish you ---- shouting at the children.

A) stopped B) would stop
  

Top answer

clue: Do you think you can wish for something in the past?

— Nona the brit

  • clue: Do you think you can wish for something in the past?
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

9 Answers
0
clue: Do you think you can wish for something in the past?
0
0
Nona The Britclue: Do you think you can wish for something in the past?
Why does it have to be in the past?

We use the past in the same way after wish (I wish I knew / I wish you were etc.) We use wish to say that we regret something, that something is not as we would like it to be:

• I wish I knew Paul's phone number.
0
0
Let me re-phrase that then ...can you wish for something to happen in the simple past?
0
0
but after "I wish" it is actually not simple past, is it?
0
0
It doesn't work with 'stopped'.
0
0
Nona The BritIt doesn't work with 'stopped'.
why? it works with "know" but not with "stop". What is the yardstick?
0
0
Maybe:

"I wish I had done X" – a wish for a different action in the past.

"I wish I had known X" – a wish for a different state in the past.

"I wish I knew X" – a wish for a different state in the present.

"I wish you did X" – a wish for a different recurrent action.

"I wish you would do X" – a wish for a different action in the present/future.
0
0
What is the yardstick?
It seems that I wish ... simple past ... doesn't work with "achievement" verbs -- or rather "achievement" predicates -- predicates which indicate by their meaning something which happens at a point in time.

Thus, the following are not possible.

I wish he stopped singing.
I wish he died.
I
0
0
The BBC confirms CJ:-)

site:bbc.co.uk "I wish he stopped" 0 results
site:bbc.co.uk "I wish he would stop" 9 results
0

Related Questions