The Grammaring Guide to English Grammar with Exercises

Wishes about the present

WISH / IF ONLY + PAST SUBJUNCTIVE

This pattern is used to express wishes or regrets about the present:

I wish I lived

nearer. Then we could meet more often.

(I'm sorry that I don't live nearer)

Cathy wishes she had

blond hair.

(Cathy is sorry that she doesn't have blond hair)

Instead of the past subjunctive, we can use could + infinitive:

You're brilliant.

I wish I could play

the guitar like you.

(I'm sorry that I can't play the guitar like you)

Quotes:

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't. - Erica Jong

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month. - Harlan Miller

Related topics:

Past subjunctive

Second conditional