Use wish and if only to talk about things you'd like to be different: your situation right now, something in the past, or someone's annoying habit. If only means the same as wish, just with more feeling.
The pattern
I wish I had more time.
I wish I had studied abroad.
I wish you would stop interrupting.
01Wishes about now: one step back
To wish for a different present, move the verb one step into the past: wish + past simple. Use could for abilities. The verb looks past, but the meaning is now.
With be, I wish I were is the careful, written form. In everyday American conversation, I wish I was is extremely common, and both are fine.
- I wish I had a car. The bus takes forever.
- I wish I could speak Spanish.
- I wish I were (was) taller.
02Regrets about the past
For something that already happened, or didn't, use wish + past perfect (had + past participle). Use could have for a missed ability or chance.
- I wish I hadn't eaten that second burrito.
- She wishes she had applied for the job.
- I wish I could have been at your graduation.
03Wish + would: when someone annoys you
Use wish + would when you want someone or something to change, often with a hint of frustration. Don't use it about yourself: say I wish I could, not I wish I would.
- I wish you would put your phone away at dinner.
- I wish my neighbors wouldn't play music so late.
- I wish it would stop raining.
04If only, and wish vs. hope
If only uses the same tenses as wish, but it's stronger and more dramatic. For things that could really happen, use hope, not wish: I hope you get the job.
| Meaning | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Different now | wish + past simple | I wish I lived closer to work. |
| Different past | wish + past perfect | I wish I had saved more. |
| Change someone's behavior | wish + would | I wish he would call back. |
| Real possibility | hope + present or will | I hope it doesn't rain. |
05Common mistakes
I wish I have a car.
I wish I had a car.
A wish about now uses the past simple, not the present.
I wish I didn't eat so much last night.
I wish I hadn't eaten so much last night.
A regret about the past needs the past perfect.
I wish I would speak Spanish.
I wish I could speak Spanish.
Use could for your own abilities; wish + would is for other people.
I wish you pass your exam.
I hope you pass your exam.
For a real, possible future, use hope.