Sentence check

Hi.
It should be;
I wish I had finished what I had started.
Hamid

hrsaneiHi. It should be; I wish I had finished what I had started. Hamid

It would be wrong to say 'I wish I finished what I started', without the two had's because a real past event with wish takes a past perfect. Right?

I wish I had finished what I started.
That's fine. You can also use "had started," but normally, I don't.

AnonymousIt would be wrong to say 'I wish I finished what I started', without the two had's because a real past event with wish takes a past perfect. Right?

You are right, in a wish statement, you have to use past perfect to talk about past events. But this sentence is tricky because "what I started" is not necessarily part of the wish statement, so you can us

AlpheccaStarsI wish I had finished what I started.That's fine. You can also use "had started," but normally, I don't.

Thanks AStars.

Just curious, would it be possible to eliminate the first 'had' as well?

I think it would be wrong to say 'I wish I finished what I started', because a real past event with wish takes a past perfect. Am I righ

AnonymousI think it would be wrong to say 'I wish I finished what I started',

Yes, it's wrong.

I wish I had finished what I started.
There was a real project you started in the past, but you did not finish it. You regret this.

Compare:
I wish I could / would finish what I start.

You habitually do

AnonymousJust curious, would it be possible to eliminate the first 'had' as well?

It's possible, but doing so would change the meaning. I wish I finished what I started expresses regret that you don't characteristically finish what you start.

AlpheccaStarsI wish I could / would finish what I start.

I wish I would finish what I start sounds most unnatural to me. I normally wish that somebody else would do something.

AG's I wish I finished what I started is what I'd say if I regretted habitually not finishing what I started

fivejedjon AlpheccaStarsI wish I could / would finish what I start.I wish I would finish what I start sounds most unnatural to me. I normally wish that somebody else would do something.AG's I wish I finished what I started is what I'd say if I regretted habitually not finishing what I started

Thanks. Then what is 'I wish I could finish what I started'?

AnonymousThen what is 'I wish I could finish what I started'?

I wish I were able to finish what I started.
For some reason, I can't finish the project that I started.

Would is OK to me if there is a different subject. eg.
I wish my son would finish what he started.