I wish I knew/I would know
In my class recently, I was teaching wish/if only hope, which is of no problem t o me, but one of my students answers was, I wish I could know more. In my opinion, not permissable in English, but I couldn't explain why! For example I wish I could dance, sing, play football Tec are all fine: however, ...could know doesn't sit well.
Thoughts.
Top answer
There's absolutely nothing wrong with "I wish I could know more". It's perfectly grammatical and natural
- There's absolutely nothing wrong with "I wish I could know more".
- It's perfectly grammatical and natural
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There's absolutely nothing wrong with "I wish I could know more". It's perfectly grammatical and natural
0could knowI wish I could know more.
It's the combination of the modal can/could with know that is strange. Who says Algebra is hard, but I can know it?
It seems to me that could learn more or could find out more is what we say.
Or I wish I knew more, of course, leaving out could.
CJ
0I'm not a specialist. I use this structure "I wish I could know something". When I use it I mean that there is something stands in my way of knowing. That's why I use "could" to give a hint to it.
I find this structure "I wish I would know more" is confusing. I can't handle it.
0
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