Usage of wish and hope

Question

Dear all, I have wrote a few sentences to test out whether I am understand the correct usage of wish and hope or not. Please kindly help me to check my sentences:

1. I wish tomorrow were going to be a rainy day as I do not wish to go to the camp. (100% sure that tomorrow is going to be Sunny)

2. I hope tomorrow is going to be a rainy day. (the weather report is not so accurate, therefore there is a possibility that tomorrow would really be rainy. As I cannot be sure that tomorrow is not a rainy day, I must not use "wish" since "wish" is applied when one is certain about one thing and the person wants the certain thing to be different)
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3. I wish I had worked harder in the past.

4. I wish the boy would stop screaming out loud when he is playing the computer games.

5. I hope you can join our trip. ( I was told that we should use "hope + can/will/are able to/is able to" to talk about the things you just want to happen but not to be different in the future.)

6. I hope you could join our trip. ( Is this correct, however? If so, would it be even more polite then the previous one? Would it also be more uncertain than the number 5 sentence?)

When it comes to "wish + would" and "wish + past tense + bare infinitive", I am not quite certain when to use which, particularly for the first combination. Could you please also explain it to me?

Thank you so much for your helping hands!

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Hi Endeavour:

Here are some comments.

Endeavour1. I wish tomorrow were going to be a rainy day as I do not wish to go to the camp. (100% sure that tomorrow is going to be Sunny)

OK.

Endeavour2. I hope tomorrow is going to be a rainy day.

Correct. You can say this using "wish"
I wish we would have a rainy day tomorrow.

Endeavour3. I wish I had worked harder in the past.
4. I wish the boy would stop screaming out loud when he is playing the computer games.
Perfect.
Endeavour5. I hope you can join our trip. ( I was told that we should use "hope + can/will/are able to/is able to" to talk about the things you just want to happen but not to be different in the future.)
Yes.
Endeavour6. I hope you could join our trip
This is not quite right. This one:

I wish you could join our trip.

means that I know that you cannot come on the trip, and I would like the situation to be different.

This one:

I hoped you could join our trip.

means that in the past, I had this hope.
EndeavourWhen it comes to "wish + would"
Some examples:
I wish it would rain tomorrow.

I wish I would win the lottery.
She wishes she would meet the man of her dreams.

Regards,
A-s

Tranquility · Answer

Wish can be used to express your feeling sorry about something in the present time, so the structures will be as follows:
-1- wish (that) + could+ infinitive verb
e.g. I wish I could help you.

-2- wish (that)+ past simple
e.g. I wish she was taller.

Wish also used to regert something or feeling sorry or sad about something in the past, in this case the following structure is acceptable:

-1- wish (that) + past participle
e.g. I wish I had written him a letter.

Wish could mean 'to hope' something for someone, as the example below shows this:
I wish you a safe journey.

As for hope, it means to want something to happen or to come true in the future. It could be followed by 'to+ infinitive verb' or by 'that'.
I hope to visit my relatives in Jordan soon.
I hope that she will win.
Of course the usage of 'that' is optional.

Endeavour · Answer

Hi A-

s,

Much appreciation for your prompt reply!

I would like to explain some of the suggestions you have made in order to let you check whether I am having the same idea as yours and therefore understand the usage.

For "2. I hope tomorrow is going to be a rainy day.", you suggested:
"I wish we would have a rainy day tomorrow."

Explanation: Because using "wish+would" means that the thing being described is not definite and can therefore be different in the future. For example, as we are not sure whether Mary did mean it when she said that "She was not going to join us" after being angered by a little joke from us, we could say "I wish Mary would come to join us for the gathering.", since there is indeed a possibility that Mary was making a joke last time and she actually was going to come.

Concerning your recommendation towards example no. 6, the above explanation applies to it as well. "I wish you could join our trip." means that I know that you may not be able to join us, but in fact there will still be a possibility for you to be able to join us, so we say this instead of "I wish you were going to join our trip" as the second one implies that "you" must definitely be unavailable to join our trip.

At last, regarding the last three examples you provided, the wishes are all achievable even though some may be hard to achieve, but the possibility is there. So, we should apply "wish + would" to want something that is not destined, which means still have possiblity to be different, to be different, instead of applying "wish + past tense + bare infinitive" to want something that is destined and will not possible to be different in the future to be different.

Thanks for your help and patience!

Regards,
Endeavour

Endeavour · Answer

Thanks for your reply tranquility!

However, regarding your instance "I wish she was taller.", should we use "were" rather than "was" to be more formal and correct? Should we say "I wish she were taller." instead? I heard that using the subjuntive verb would be more adequate.

Futhermore, concerning wish (that) + could+ infinitive verb, should we only use this structure when we are wanting something that is not destined to be different? Other than that, should we only use wish (that)+ past simple when we are talking about things that are destined and will never be possible to be different to be different? That said, in my view, the first form suggests that the thing we are mentioning is not set yet and therefore there is possibility to be different in the future, whereas the second one suggests that the thing we are mentioning is perfectly set and destined and that it is not changable for sure to be different. Am I correct with these analyses?

Thanks for your help and patience!

Dimsumexpress · Answer

Endeavor,
This is how I see it. You brought on a very stimulating, yet confusing topic because the "I wish" mood is one of the subjuctives (i.e. I wish I were Donald Trumpe, or I wish Cathy were my girlfriend) which particularly describes non-factual or unlikely scenarios. I wish I could fly (but it's not likely).

Here is a partial explanation on the topic. Courtesy of: http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000031.htm

I find the information on subjunctive very easy to understand and concise to the point. I hope this helps you!

"Sometimes we may use the conditional auxiliary verbs of could, should, or would to express the same sense.
Subjunctive:I wish he were kinder to me. Conditional: I wish he would be kinder to me"

CalifJim · Answer

The only problem I see is in 6, which AlpheccaStars has already explained.

... wish ... would ... examples:

I wish he would stop asking stupid questions.

(He continues to ask stupid questions, and it's annoying me. I want this to stop.)
I wish the kids would pay attention to their teacher.

(The kids are not paying attention to their teacher. I want this to change.)
I wish the city would pick up garbage twice a week.

(The city does not pick up garbage twice a week. My life would be more pleasant if they did.)

Note that these are all cases of saying, in a different way: If I could control the world, I would change it in this way in order to remove an annoying or unpleasant situation or to create a more pleasant situation.
_____________

"wish + past tense + bare infinitive"

I don't think this pattern exists.

*I wish they went see the movie.
*I wish they helped find the lost key.

-- unless you're talking about the "past tense form" of the modal can.

I wish they could see me now. = I wish they were able to see me now.

CJ

Dimsumexpress · Answer

Hi CJ,
Unless I misunderstood something, " I wish you could ...join us " sounded and looked grammatical to me. Could you please shed some light on this?

Thanks

Dim

CalifJim · Answer

dimsumexpressUnless I misunderstood something, " I wish you could ...join us " sounded and looked grammatical to me. Could you please shed some light on this?

It sounds and looks grammatical to me, too.

CJ

Tranquility · Answer

Endeavourinstead of applying "wish + past tense + bare infinitive" to want something that is destined and will not possible to be different in the future to be different.

Yeah, Endeavour

Every word you mention is close to what in my mind, except the last part on which I encourage you to elaborate and make it clearer for me at least: " instead of applying "wish + past tense + bare infinitive" to want something that is destined and will not possible to be different in the future to be different". Did you mean here wish + had + past perfect? And what exactly you meant by 'destined'?

Best regards to you too.

Tranquility · Answer

should we use "were" rather than "was" to be more formal and correct? Should we say "I wish she were taller." instead? I heard that using the subjuntive verb would be more adequate: Yes, was and were are acceptable.

'Wish' is used with the past simple tense or 'could' to express that you feel sorry or sad about a state or situation that exists at the moment and cannot be changed, or the possibility of chang is very little.

'Wish' is used with the past perfect tense to express that you feel sorry or sad about a particular action in the past which definitely can never be changed.

You are welcome.

Usage of wish and hope

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