Look at these examples to see how wish and if only are used.
That guy is so annoying! I wish he'd stop talking.
I wish I lived closer to my family.
If only I hadn't lost her phone number. She must think I'm so rude for not calling her.
I wish they wouldn't park their car in front of my house.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
We use wish and if only to talk about things that we would like to be different in either the present or the past. If only is usually a bit stronger than wish.
In the present
We can use wish/if only + a past form to talk about a present situation we would like to be different.
I wish you didn't live so far away.
If only we knew what to do.
He wishes he could afford a holiday.
In the past
We can use wish/if only + a past perfect form to talk about something we would like to change about the past.
They wish they hadn't eaten so much chocolate. They're feeling very sick now.
If only I'd studied harder when I was at school.
Expressing annoyance
We can use wish + would(n't) to show that we are annoyed with what someone or something does or doesn't do. We often feel that they are unlikely or unwilling to change.
I wish you wouldn't borrow my clothes without asking.
I wish it would rain. The garden really needs some water.
She wishes he'd work less. They never spend any time together.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hi Jonathan
1 - Is this correct
The simple past has two meanings could be right now or could be repeatedly or regularly but it would be better to use the past continuous to talk about right now ?
example
I wish it didn’t rain heavily in London ( mean repeatedly or regularly )
and Both express right now
I wish it didn’t rain heavily so that I could go out ( mean right now )
I wish it wasn't raining heavily so that I could go out ( mean right now )
Hello HLH,
The past simple actually has many more meanings than simply two. I don't think you were really asking this, but I wanted to make this point just in case I'm wrong.
1) 'I wish that it didn't rain heavily in London' is indeed talking about a regular phenomenon. When someone says this, it could be that it is raining at the moment, or it could be that it's a sunny day. It's a statement about the general present, about what often happens or happens regularly.
2) 'I wish it didn't rain heavily so that I could go out' has the same kind of meaning as 1. If it's raining at the time of speaking, 'I could go out' could refer to right now, but the 'I wish' clause doesn't refer to right now -- it has the meaning of 1.
3) Yes, this refers to right now.
This is in parallel with how we use the present simple and the present continuous to talk about the weather. If there is rain when we're speaking, we say 'It's raining' (not 'It rains').
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
Hi,
I was wondering why people keep saying/posting stuff like: "Things I wish I knew when I was in my twenties". It refers to the past, shouldn't it be "...I wish I'd known..."? Is it in any way acceptable to use past simple form when talking about past after I wish/If only or is it simply a mistake? Thanks, Anna
Hi Annap89,
Strictly, 'were' is not correct here, but people often use non-standard forms like this in everyday speech.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
If only I _____ that to her. She's not speaking to me now.
Can we use "Didn't say" instead hadn't said. I mean to use past simple because we are speaking for now, to change something now
Hello olisristeski,
No, a past perfect is needed here. The saying happened in the past, and as the information on the page says, we use "wish/if only + a past perfect form to talk about something we would like to change about the past."
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
I'm so tired. I wish I had gone home earlier last night. This is correct answer and according to the rule we suppose to talk about the past
Why we can't use I Wish I went home earlier last night. We are talking about the present, are we? I understand as we are speaking in the present.
Hello olisristeski,
In your sentence the wishing is in the present but the going is in the past (specifically, last night), so it is a wish about the past. Therefore, the past perfect is appropriate.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Thanks Peter for your explanation, for me sometimes is a bit difficult to make clear distinction when we are wishing in past or present
Hello!
I don't know whether this question has already been asked.
If I say "I hope to pass the exam", I use hope+infinitive.
I'd like to know if "I hope I passed the exam" is correct, meaning to use hope+past simple in the sense I hope now but still I don't know the result.
I have read on Cambrdige grammar the sentence "I hope she passed the exam" but in the sentence we have two different people.
So, may I use "I hope I passed the exam" instead of infinitive, by relating to the same person?
Best regards