slug: wishes-regrets title: Wishes & Regrets group: structures order: 9 summary: Express wishes about the present with wish + past simple, and regrets about the past with wish + past perfect. formula: S + wish + S + had + V-ed/V3 · S + wish + S + would + V(bare)

When to use it

Wish followed by a past tense form lets you express that reality is different from what you want. For present wishes (something is not true now but you want it to be), use wish + past simple. For past regrets (something happened or did not happen, and you want it to be different), use wish + past perfect.

I wish I knew the answer. (I don't know it now — present wish) I wish I had studied harder. (I didn't study hard — past regret)

The third pattern uses wish + would to express frustration about a habit or about something you want to change in the future.

Form

Use were (not was) in formal English for the first person and third person singular in present wishes: "I wish I were taller". In everyday speech was is widely accepted.

Examples

• I wish I could speak Japanese fluently.
• She wishes she had saved more money before moving abroad.
• He wishes his neighbour would turn down the music at night.

Common mistakes

• Using present tense after wish: "I wish I know the answer" → I wish I knew the answer.
• Confusing present wish with past regret: "I wish I studied harder last year" → I wish I had studied harder last year.
• Using wish + would about yourself: "I wish I would be more confident" → I wish I were more confident (use past simple for your own present wishes).