Wish / If only

LIFE

Language Institute for Functional English

 We use wish / if only + past simple to express a desire for something to be different in the present:
I wish I had more free time. (I don’t have much free time, but I would like some)
The desire can be for something which is actually impossible:
If only I were young again.
 We use wish / if only + past perfect to express a regret about the past, a wish that something different
had happened:
I wish that you had told me about this before I booked the tickets. (I regret the fact that you didn’t
tell me about this.)
If only I hadn’t been driving so fast! (Unfortunately he was driving very fast.)
 Wish / if only + would usually expresses a desire for someone to change their deliberate behavior in
the present or future:
I wish you would stop looking at me. (You keep looking at me and I want you to stop.)
 We often use this form to criticize or complain about something:
I wish my English teacher would stop assigning so much homework!
 We can’t use would when the subject of the wish and the subject of the change are the same. Instead
we use a past tense:
I wish I would be more energetic. (Subject of wish and would are the same.)
If only I were more energetic. (I wish I could be more energetic.)
 We use wish / if only + could (have) to describe a desire we know is impossible to achieve:
If only we could see the situation through his eyes. (We can’t.)
I wish your father could have been there to see it all. (Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to be there.)
 If only is often more emphatic than wish.
 Wish can be followed by that, but if only cannot:
If only that you’d told me about it earlier.
I wish that you’d told me about it earlier.

Let’s put the theory into practice!!!

A. Express wishes and regrets about these situations. Refer to yourself where possible.
1. You’re not very fit. I wish / If only I was / were fit / fitter!
2. It’s very hot today. …………………………………………………………………………….
3. It’s raining. ……………………………………………………………………………………..
4. You were too impatient. ………………………………………………………………………
5. You wasted a lot of time watching T.V. …………………………………………………….
6. They don’t have a lot of friends. ……………………………………………………………..
7. We didn’t lock the back door! ………………………………………………………………
8. He is abroad. ………………………………………………………………………………..
9. Jane has read your letter. ………………………………………………………………….
10. John didn’t take your advice. ………………………………………………………………

B. Supply would, wouldn’t or could.

1. I wish they……………………………….be quiet.
2. We wish you…………………………..drive so fast.
3. We wish we…………………………..come to London with you.
4. I wish I………………………………..have seen the film with them.
5. We really wish she…………………………………..change her mind and come on holiday with us.
6. If only we………………………………………have good weather like this the whole year.

C. Fill in the gaps with an appropriate auxiliary verb.

1. I don’t know many people, but I wish I did.
2. He can’t drive, but he wishes he………………….
3. We didn’t move house, but we wish we ……………………
4. I’m not very wealthy, but I wish I…………………………….
5. She probably won’t help me, I wish she………………………..
D. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense.
1. _I wish Paul would tell me what is wrong with him.
_Yes. He seems very upset, doesn’t he?
2. _I wish I……………………………………..(not/shout) at the children like that.
_Why? They were being very naughty.
3. _I wish you …………………………(tidy) your room more often.
_Sorry, I’ll try to.
4. _I wish I…………………………….(practice) harder before the concert.
_I thought you performed very well.
5. _If only Stuart………………………….(call) me.
_Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll phone soon.
6. _I wish…………………………….(be) back at school again.
_Those were great days, weren’t they?
7. _I wish Mark………………………(stop) playing his music so loudly.
_Why don’t you ask him to turn it down?
8. _If only I……………………………..(buy) those shoes we saw today.
_Why not go back and buy them tomorrow?
9. _I wish you……………………………(try) harder with your Maths homework.
_Sorry. I find it very difficult.
10. _If only we…………………………….(go) to France last summer.
_We could go this year if you like.
11. _I wish I………………………….(afford) some new CDs.
_Would you like to borrow some of mine?
12. _If only it……………………………(stop) raining.
_Yes. Then we could go for a walk.
13. _Are you going to Joanne’s party on Saturday?
_No. I wish I………………………………….(go), because I’m sure it will be fun.
14. _I wish you…………………………………(help) with the housework more often.
_What would you me to do?
15. _I’m bored. I wish I………………………….(arrange) to go out this evening.
_I’m going to the cinema. Why don’t you come, too?

E. Read the text and complete the sentences below using type 3 conditionals.

The Titanic was a British luxury passenger liner which sank during its maiden voyage from Southampton to
New York in 1912. On 14th April, the Titanic hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. Distress signals were sent to
the Californian, a ship 20 miles away, but their radio operator was off duty and the signals were not received.
Some of the passengers got into lifeboats, but, although the Titanic was luxurious, it did not have enough
lifeboats for all the passengers on board. As a result, the loss of life was great. Many people died because the
sea was very cold. Luckily, another ship, the Carpathia, rescued some of the passengers. As a result of the
disaster, new rules were made to ensure that sea voyage would be safer in future. It is now believed that the
Titanic sank so quickly because it was too large.

1. If the ship had not hit an iceberg, …………………………………………………………………..

2. If the Californian’s radio operator had been on duty, ……………………………………………..
3. If the Titanic had had enough lifeboats,…………………………………………………………….
4. If the sea hadn’t been so cold,……………………………………………………………………….
5. If the Carpathia had not arrived,……………………………………………………………………..
6. If the Titanic had not sunk,……………………………………………………………………………