'Wish' Conditionals

Question

Im an ESL teacher, and today in my class we covered 'wish' conditionals eg. I wish it would stop raining, i wish i had more money, etc

One of my students was persistent in asking why this sentnces was wrong, and no answer i gave her would satisfy. What explanation would you give her

Her sentence: I wish I hadn't to go to work today.

Correct sentence: I wish I didn't have to go to work today.

Any suggestions would be apreciated!

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Her sentence is OK, it is just not a verb form used much (or at all) nowadays.

Cool Breeze · Answer

AnonymousHer sentence: I wish I hadn't to go to work today.
Correct sentence: I wish I didn't have to go to work today.

There are cases in which do needs to be used with have. You can read about them

CB

Anonymous · Answer

I wish I hadn't gone to work today.

Regards · Answer

Cool Breeze
AnonymousHer sentence: I wish I hadn't to go to work today.Correct sentence: I wish I didn't have to go to work today.
There are cases in which do needs to be used with have. You can read about them here.

CB

Hi,

Not necessarily, CB. I wouldn't call this wrong or that these are situations where an auxiliary verb is needed, but would name it old-fashioned English. For example, the question "have you a phone?" is correct,

but not likely to be said nowadays when everyone seems to talk modern English. In the U.S people would probably say "do you have a phone?", whereas in the U.K people would say "have you got a phone?" Times have changed - and so have the language we are using today. I agree that these sorts of questions are totally old-fashioned, and that to some speakers they even sound wrong, but it doesn't mean these dialects are incorrect; they are simply uncommon and archaic. As for the matter, her question is legitimate.

She just said a grammatical sentence which is, however, unnatural for people to hear, especially when

casual English is concerned.

Regards

Dimsumexpress · Answer

AnonymousI wish I hadn't gone to work today.

Anon,

You are right, this is a good and correct sentence, but if you take a moment to analyze the meaning, it is quite different than " I wish I didn't I have to go to work", which is something someone may say after a night of partying and waking up with a hang-over.

Cool Breeze · Answer

RegardsIn the U.S people would probably say "do you have a phone?", whereas in the U.K people would say "have you got a phone?"

If you read the post I referred the poster to, you'll notice that I said nothing about "have you got" - and I agree with you completely. Even "have you a phone" is considered correct in British English - and even Ernest Hemingway used similar questions in his novels, but for example "have you to do it today?" is wrong in all forms of modern English, as far as I know.

CB

Regards · Answer

Cool BreezeIf you read the post I referred the poster to, you'll notice that I said nothing about "have you got" - and I agree with you completely. Even "have you a phone" is considered correct in British English - and even Ernest Hemingway used similar questions in his novels, but for example "have you to do it today?" is wrong in all forms of modern English, as far as I know.

CB

Hi,

CB, believe me I had read carefully what you've written prior to posting.

I provided this example because I wanted to show that there are also another structures which

may sound odd to some speakers - not to mention wrong - but commonly used in English-speaking countries.

I didn't say, however, that those sorts of old-fashioned structures should be used in any context.

Regards

Anonymous · Answer

dimsumexpressAnon,
You are right, this is a good and correct sentence, but if you take a moment to analyze the meaning, it is quite different than " I wish I didn't I have to go to work", which is something someone may say after a night of partying and waking up with a hang-over.

Thanks, dimsumexpress, what about the following modification of the original post, is it acceptable?

I wish I have not to go to work today.

Cool Breeze · Answer

RegardsThere are cases in which do needs to be used with have. You can read about them here.
CB

Hi,
Not necessarily, CB.
All right. I misunderstood you as English isn't my native language. Sorry about that. I thought your comment meant that there are not cases in which "do" is required in questions and negations with "have". I stand corrected.

Regards · Answer

Hi,

CB, as you've seen I was quite careful with my words. I'm happy you understand me now.

Regards

'Wish' Conditionals

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