Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997
43 I wish .../If only...: I wish you’d stay. If only I had a car
Quick reference
• We use wish or If only + would to say that we want something to change, or that we want someone to do something. It often means we’re feeling impatient or annoyed.
/ wish it would stop raining. If only he’d (would) be quiet.
Note that we can’t say ’I wish I would ...’ or ’I wish we would ...’
• We use could after/and we to talk about a regret about a present or future inability.
/ wish I could come with you. I wish we could have a holiday.
• We use wish or If only + the past simple or the past continuous when we talk about a regret we have about a present situation.
/ wish I had more money. I wish she was my girlfriend. If only it wasn’t raining.
• We use wish or if only + the past perfect when we talk about a regret we have about something that happened or didn’t happen in the past.
I wish you’d (had) come earlier. (but you didn’t come earlier.)
I wish I hadn’t said that. If only the train had been on time.
• We don’t use would have after wish/if only.
(not I wish I would have seen it. not If only you would have worked harder.)
1 Luke is revising for an important exam. He is feeling stressed. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the words given.
Example: The phone’s ringing - why doesn’t someone answer it? (wish)
The phone's ringing -I wish somebody would answer it.
1 I want my sister to turn the television down. (wish)
2 I want my brother to stop playing his music so loudly. (If only)
3 I don’t want my mother to keep coming up to my room. (wish)
4 I don’t want her to worry so much. (If only)
5 I want to know what the exam questions are. (wish)
6 I don’t want to have to do the exam. (If only)
2 Albert Street is 85. He is thinking back over his life. Complete what he says using I wish + the past perfect. Use these verbs.
marry
have (x2)
learn
go
travel
read
stay
Example: I wish I'd (had) stayed at school longer.
1 ... to university.
2 ... a foreign language.
3 ... to more foreign countries.
4 ... more books.
5 ... a more interesting job.
6 ... the first girl I fell in love with.
7 ... a son as well as three daughters.
3 Complete what the people in the picture are saying, using wish/if only + would/wouldn’t or wish/if only + the past simple or the past perfect of these verbs.
not forget
stop
not buy
live
have
come
Example: 1 I wish my bus would come.
2 I wish ... raining.
4 If only ...in the country.
6 I wish ... so many things.
3 If only ... more money.
5 I wish ... my raincoat.
4 a) Write three sentences about the regrets you have about the situation you are in at present.
Examples: I wish I was on a beach in the sun. I wish I wasn't studying English grammar.
I wish I could go on holiday.
b) Write three sentences about things you wish you had or had not done in the past.
Example: I wish I'd started to learn English at an earlier age.
Check your answers with a teacher.