Difference between revisions of "Wish"
From Creolista!
(→Main course) |
(→Main course) |
||
| Line 67: | Line 67: | ||
#*I wish you hadn't done that. | #*I wish you hadn't done that. | ||
#The remote modals [[could]] and [[would]] are very often used with <span style="color:#026;font-weight:bold;">wish</span>: | #The remote modals [[could]] and [[would]] are very often used with <span style="color:#026;font-weight:bold;">wish</span>: | ||
| − | #*They wished they < | + | #*They wished they <i>could afford</i> better equipment. |
| − | #*I wish the neighbors < | + | #*I wish the neighbors <i>couldn't see</i> into our back yard. We need a hedgerow! |
| − | #*He wished the cat < | + | #*He wished the cat <i>would stop peeing</i> in her shoes every time she stayed over. It really was not very nice. |
| − | #*I wish you < | + | #*I wish you <i>wouldn't</i> always <i>leave</i> your laptop on the dining room table. <span style="font-size:80%">(lockdown blues)</span> |
| − | # | + | #*I wish you wouldn't have done that. |
Revision as of 02:21, 1 May 2021
If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.
(pre-driverless car saying)
starter
So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from hell?
Blue skies from pain?
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
Did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
Did you exchange
A walk-on part in the war
For a leading role in a cage
How I wish, how I wish you were here
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have we found?
The same old fears
Wish you were here
entremets
- wish can be followed by a noun phrase (and by words from a few other classes: an occasional particle, resultative adjective, ... )
- We wish you the best of luck.
- She wished me a merry Christmas.
- We wished each other well and moved on.
- You can't really wish away aging.
- wish is not followed by an embedded clause in the simple present, present continuous, or the future.
- Instead, use hope with the simple present or the future.
- I hope you don't mind if I leave a bit early.
- I hope you can make it on Saturday.
- I hope it won't break.
- I hope the movie will be good.
Main course
- wish is often followed by an embedded clause in the simple past or the past continuous to express regrets about the present or future.
- I wish I knew when the delivery would be here.
- I wish he had a cell-phone.
- Don't you wish you were queen/king of the planet? You could solve all the world's problems!
- They're going to Martinique. I kind of wish I were going with them. (was is also possible)
- If the embedded clause is in the past perfect, it expresses regrets about the past.
- I wish I had known we were supposed to bring cake.
- I bet you wish you had brought cake.
- Yep, I wish I had been paying attention when Dr. Organizer was telling us who should bring what.
- I wish you hadn't done that.
- The remote modals could and would are very often used with wish:
- They wished they could afford better equipment.
- I wish the neighbors couldn't see into our back yard. We need a hedgerow!
- He wished the cat would stop peeing in her shoes every time she stayed over. It really was not very nice.
- I wish you wouldn't always leave your laptop on the dining room table. (lockdown blues)
- I wish you wouldn't have done that.
