wish
Wish can be a noun or a verb.
used as a noun
A wish is a longing or desire for something, often something that is difficult to obtain or achieve.
She told me of her wish to have a baby.
They are motivated by a wish for more freedom.
used as a verb
When wish is a verb, it is usually followed by a that-clause. If you wish that something was the case, you would like it to be the case, although you know it is unlikely or impossible.
I wish I lived nearer London.
We never have enough time and we wish we had more.
Be careful
Use a past tense in the that-clause, not a present tense. Don't say, for example, ‘I wish I have more friends’. Say ‘I wish I had more friends’. Don't say ‘I wish I have sold my car’. You say ‘I wish I had sold my car’.
Use a past tense in the that-clause, not a present tense. Don't say, for example, ‘I wish I have more friends’. Say ‘I wish I had more friends’. Don't say ‘I wish I have sold my car’. You say ‘I wish I had sold my car’.
I wish I could help you, but I can't.
I envy you. I wish I was going away too.
You use the same tense in the that-clause when you are talking about the past as you would use if you were talking about the present. For example, you say ‘She wished she lived in Tuscany’ and ‘She wishes she lived in Tuscany’.
The woman wished she could help them.
He wished he had phoned for a taxi.
When the subject of the that-clause is a singular pronoun such as I or he or a singular noun phrase, you can use either was or were after it. This use of were is rather formal, especially in British English.
Sometimes, I wish I was back in Africa.
My sister occasionally wished that she were a boy.
➜ See were
You can also use could in the that-clause.
I wish I could paint.
He wished he could believe her.
If you wish that something would happen, you want it to happen, and you are annoyed or worried because it has not happened already.
I wish he would hurry up!
I wish someone would explain it to me.
If you say to someone that you wish they would do something, you want them to do it, and you are annoyed or disappointed because they have not done it already.
I wish you would leave me alone.
I wish you would find out the facts before you start accusing people.
Be careful
Don't use ‘wish’ with a that-clause simply to express a wish for the future. Don't say, for example, ‘I wish you’ll have a nice time in Finland'. Say ‘I hope you’ll have a nice time in Finland' or ‘I hope you have a nice time in Finland’.
Don't use ‘wish’ with a that-clause simply to express a wish for the future. Don't say, for example, ‘I wish you’ll have a nice time in Finland'. Say ‘I hope you’ll have a nice time in Finland' or ‘I hope you have a nice time in Finland’.
I hope I'll see you before you go.
I hope you enjoy the play.
However, you can sometimes express a wish for the future using wish as a transitive verb with two objects.
May I wish you luck in writing your book.
He wished the newly wed couple every possible happiness.