I wish

Question

Please, would you mind checking the sentences and their answers (using wish), please?1) The man didn’t clear up the crime. – I wish he had cleared up the crime.          2) I wasn’t qualified for the city’s summer youth program. - I wish I had been qualified for the city’s summer            youth program. 3) You didn’t need my help. - I wish you had needed my help. 4) They weren’t happy. – I wish they had been happy.5) She didn’t print the paper. – I wish she had printed the paper.6) He didn’t didn’t laugh at my jokes. – I wish he had laughed at my jokes. 7) We weren’t wise enough. – I wish we had been wise enough.8) It didn’t take any chemical. – I wish it had taken some chemical.1. He won’t move to New Orleans. – I wish he would move to New Orleans.2. You won’t graduate in history. – I wish you would graduate in history. 3. They’ll start a war. – I wish they wouldn’t start a war.4. She’ll watch the fight on TV. – I wish she wouldn’t watch the fight on TV. 5. The winter will be tough this year. – I wish it wouldn’t be tough this year. 6. He’ll put the family boat on sale. – I wish he wouldn’t put the family boat on sale. 7. We’ll let the children travel alone. – I wish we wouldn’t let the children travel alone.8. The students will skip classes. – I wish the students wouldn’t skip classes.  With many thanks, Laura

Lil&apos; Ruby Rose · Accepted Answer

The verb constructions sound ok to my ears, but some of the sentences seem a little odd. Number 8 in the first set, for example, doesn't really mean anything.

Also, in the second set - not all the sentences are the sort of thing that a native speaker would use. The construction "I wish you wouldn't..." carries a feeling of irritation, as if someone is doing something to annoy you. So I would (and frequently do) say "I wish you wouldn't interrupt me when I'm speaking", but I wouldn't say "I wish they wouldn't start a war". In this case, I'd be more likely to say "I hope they don't start a war". To me, the first sentence in that second block carries the implicit meaning "I wish he'd move somewhere far away because I can't stand him".

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Lil'Ruby Rose,

Could you please, point out which sentences are wrong so that I can correct and show them for your appreciation again?(because this is a kind of exercise I have to hand in for my teacher).

Rereading the sentences: It didn't take any chemical - I wish it had taken some chemical, for sure it doesn' t make so much sense. My initial thought was something related to food. But nobody wants chemical in their food, in spite of some of them are necessary,doesn't it?

Thanks again,
Laura

Lil&apos; Ruby Rose · Answer

Hi Laura,

It's not that the sentence construction is wrong, it's that they are not constructions you would normally hear - because a native English speaker wouldn't use "wish" in lots of these contexts. For some of them, we would be more likely to use "hope" (is that an option for this exercise for your teacher?)

For example, I can't imagine ever saying "I wish it wouldn't be a tough winter this year", but I would say "I hope it isn't / won't be a tough winter this year.

Would it be helpful for me to put down how I would express each of these?

LRR

Anonymous · Answer

Hi Lil' Ruby Rose

Thank you very much for your reply. I had to make 8 sentences using Wish + past perfect (past time) as I show in my first set, then 8 other sentences using Wish + Would (future time) as it appears in the second .

Well, I've learnt that wish + past perfect is used to indicate regret concerning a past situation or an unfulfilled action so I thought that each example below could be expressing this situation.

1) The man didn’t clear up the crime. – I wish he had cleared up the crime.
2) I wasn’t qualified for the city’s summer youth program. - I wish I had been qualified for the city’s summer youth program.

3) You didn’t need my help. - I wish you had needed my help.

4) They weren’t happy. – I wish they had been happy.

5) She didn’t print the paper. – I wish she had printed the paper.

6) He didn’t didn’t laugh at my jokes. – I wish he had laughed at my jokes.

7) We weren’t wise enough. – I wish we had been wise enough.

8) I didn’t take good grades on my final exams. – I wish I had taken good grades on my final exams.

Lil&apos; Ruby Rose · Answer

Ah! Got it - I think! So these are your sentences, right? I thought the sentences had been set by someone else, which is why I couldn't quite get what the task was!
Sorry for the delay.
LRR

AnonymousHi Lil' Ruby Rose

Thank you very much for your reply. I had to make 8 sentences using Wish + past perfect (past time) as I show in my first set, then 8 other sentences using Wish + Would (future time) as it appears in the second .

Well, I've learnt that wish + past perfect is used to indicate regret concerning a past situation or an unfulfilled action so I thought that each example below could be expressing this situation.

1) The man didn’t clear up the crime. – I wish he had cleared up the crime. [clear up a crime not a common expression - but the verb construction is okay. Perhaps something like "The detective didn't solve the crime" might be better?]
2) I wasn’t qualified for the city’s summer youth program. - I wish I had been qualified for the city’s summer youth program. [reads okay, but I'd be more likely to say "I wish I were qualified..." because the qualification is an ongoing condition. Perhaps change 'qualified' to 'selected'?]

3) You didn’t need my help. - I wish you had needed my help. [Verb construction fine - but would sound more natural if you used 'ask for' instead of 'need']

4) They weren’t happy. – I wish they had been happy. [ok to my ears]

5) She didn’t print the paper. – I wish she had printed the paper. [ok to my ears]

6) He didn’t didn’t laugh at my jokes. – I wish he had laughed at my jokes.[okay to my ears - dupe didn't in your first sentence though]

7) We weren’t wise enough. – I wish we had been wise enough. ['smart' or 'clever' would be more natural vocab choices here]

8) I didn’t take good grades on my final exams. – I wish I had taken good grades on my final exams. ['get good grades in my exams']

And wish + would shows a wish concerning a future action/state and willingfulness, in which the action will probably not be realized. But only in the case that the event is possible to happen/to be realized, so we should use hope instead of wish. So thinking about it, I decided to make the following sentences:

1. He won’t move to New Orleans. – I wish he would move to New Orleans. [ok to my ears]

2. You won’t graduate in history. – I wish you would graduate in history. [This one doesn't work for me - because the opportunity to graduate is still in the person's control - so I would say "I hope you will graduate...]

3. They’ll get rid of some old photos. – I wish they wouldn’t get rid of some old photos. [if your original sentence were "They won't get rid of those old photos" and the amendment "I wish they would get rid of those old photos", that would work fine]

4. She’ll watch the fight on TV. – I wish she wouldn’t watch the fight on TV. [as above]

5. The winter will be tough this year. – I wish it wouldn’t be tough this year. [This one doesn't work for me - I would say "I hope it won't be..." if I have no way of knowing whether the winter would be hard or not, or "I wish it wasn't going to be..." if I had some certain knowledge that it would be a hard winter. What about using something like "It won't snow this winter"]

6. He’ll put the family boat on sale. – I wish he wouldn’t put the family boat on sale.

7. We’ll let the children travel alone. – I wish we wouldn’t let the children travel alone. [Doesn't sound right, because you would have control over whether you let your children travel alone. If you changed "we" to "they" it would work fine]

8. The students will skip classes. – I wish the students wouldn’t skip classes. [fine to my ears]

Well, my worry is: Are all my sentences correct? If they can't be accepted the way they are, what should I do to let them gramatically correct? Considering that I have to use wish + past perfect (in one set) and wish + would (in the other one).

Thank you for the help!
Laura

Yankee · Answer

Hi Laura

Here is my input about your sentences:
The assignment for your first group of sentences is this:
Write simple past tense negative sentences and you then convert them to "wish" sentences. Right?

I've mainly suggested changes in the first sentences in order to make both sentences sound more natural. You don't seem to have any trouble with the conversion itself.

~~1) The man didn’t clear up the crime. – I wish he had cleared up the crime.~~
1) The police didn’t ever catch the killer. – I wish the police had caught the killer.

2) I wasn’t qualified for the city’s summer youth program. - I wish I had been qualified for the city’s summer youth program. OK
3) You didn’t ask for my help. - I wish you had asked for my help.

4) They weren’t happy. – I wish they had been happy. OK

5) She didn’t print out the document. – I wish she had printed out the document.

6) He didn’t ~~didn’t~~ laugh at my jokes. – I wish he had laughed at my jokes. OK

7) We weren’t wise enough. – I wish we had been wiser ~~enough~~.

8) It didn’t take any chemical. – I wish it had taken some chemical.
8) They didn't clean up the chemical spill very well. -- I wish they had cleaned up the chemical spill better.

The assignment for your second group of sentences is this:
Write will-sentences and then convert them to "wish" sentences. A few of your will-sentences should be negative. Right?
1. He won’t move to New Orleans. – I wish he would move to New Orleans. OK

2. You won’t graduate in history. – I wish you would graduate in history.
2. You won't do your homework. I wish you would do your homework.

3. They (~~will~~) argue all day long. – I wish they wouldn’t/didn't argue all day long.

4. She’ll watch the fight on TV. – I wish she wouldn’t watch the fight on TV. OK

5. The winter will be tough this year. – I wish it wouldn’t be tough this year.
5. They'll probably put too much salt on the roads again this winter. - I wish they wouldn't/didn't put so much salt on the roads.
6. He’ll put the family boat on sale. – I wish he wouldn’t put the family boat on sale. OK

7. We'll let the children travel alone. – I wish you wouldn’t let the children travel alone.

8. The students (~~will~~) skip classes. – I wish the students wouldn’t/didn't skip classes.

=> What did your teacher tell you about the use of will and won't for this exercise?

By the way, do you have a classmate named Charles? Your exercises remind me of his.

Anonymous · Answer

Hello, Mr.or Ms.Yankee!?

Thank you for your corrections/ideas. I'm still studying it, but it's not easy to understand. First of all, you asked me if I know someone called Charles. I didn't get it at all! Why? Well, answering your question my task is to make sentences using wish+ past perfect (past time) and wish + would (future time).

Finally in case I need further help, I return. All right?

Best regards,
Laura

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you for the help, Ms. Rose. In case of other questions, I'll return. All right?

Best wishes,
Laura

I wish

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