GUIDE ENGLISH GRAMMAR BOOK

241 Tenses in sub clauses
2 Verbs after wish
a
b
c
d
Wish - would
I wish people wouldn't leave this door open.
I wish Simon would reply to my letter.
This pattern expresses a wish about the future, for example a wish for a change in
someone's behaviour, or a wish for something to happen. It can express a rather
abrupt request or complaint.
I wish you wouldn't smoke.
Wish - past tense/could
I wish I had more spare time.
Bob wishes he knew what was going on.
I wish I could ski. I'm hopeless at it.
This pattern expresses a wish for something in the present to be different, for
example the amount of spare time I have. We cannot use would here.
NOT I wish I would have more spare time.
Wish -past perfect/could have
I wish I had never bought this toaster. It's always going wrong.
I wish you'd told me you had a spare ticket for the show.
Angela wishes she could have gone to the party, but she was away.
This pattern expresses a wish about the past. We cannot use would have.
NOT I wish you would have told me.
If only
If only means the same as I wish, and we use it in the same patterns.
If only Simon would reply to my letter.
If only can be more emphatic than wish. It often expresses regret.
If only you'd told me you had a spare ticket for the show. I'd have loved to go.
NOTE
a After if only we can sometimes use the present tense in a wish about the future.
If only the train gets in on time, we'll just catch the two o'clock bus.
b Only can sometimes be in mid position.
If you 'd only told me, I could have gone.
3 The unreal present and past
a
Compare these sentences.
Past simple: Suppose we were rich. (We aren't rich.)
Imagine you wanted to murder someone. (You don't want to.)
Past perfect: I wish I had reserved a seat. (I didn't reserve one.)
I'd rather you'd asked me first. (You didn't ask me.)
The past simple expresses something unreal in the present, something that is not
so. The past perfect expresses something unreal in the past. We can use these
patterns with suppose, supposing, imagine; wish, • (2); if only, • (2d); would
rather; if, • 257; as if/as though.