B2 Grammar: Wish, if, only and hope

Wish, if only and hope

Use wish / if only + past simple to say we would like a present situation to be different: I wish I had a bigger car (because my car is too small). If only it was the summer holidays (but it isn’t – I’m still at school).

Use wish / if only + would to say:

·    We want something to happen: I wish my car would start (I can’t make it start and I want it to start). If only the lesson would en (I want it to end).

·    We want someone to start doing something they do not do: If only you’d listen to me! Or we want someone to stop doing something which annoys us: I wish you wouldn’t borrow my clothes! If only my mum wouldn’t phone me every five minutes!

Use wish / if only + past perfect to talk about things which we are unhappy about which happened in the past: He wishes he had studied harder when he was at school (he didn’t study hard enough – perhaps if he had studied harder he would have gone to university). If only they hadn’t scored that goal! (they scored a goal and as a result we probably won’t win the match).

If only means I wish. When talking about other people we use he wishes, they wish, etc. We use if only when we feel something very strongly. Otherwise we use I wish.

Use hope when we want something to happen or to be true, and usually have a good reason to think that it might: I hope you have a good holiday. She hopes she’ll get a high grade in her exams. He hopes to go into politics in the future.

We can use hope when we want something t o be true about the past, but we don’t know if it is true: I hope you had a good flight (but I don’t know if you had a good flight). I hope you had good weather for your party (but I don’t know if the weather was good).

wish or

hope?

Pessimistic about something happening, or sure it won’t happen? Use wish.

Optimistic about something? Use hope.        

Talking about a present situation? Use wish + past simple.

Talking about something you would like to happen or something you would like someone to do? Use wish + would.

Talking about past time? Use wish + past perfect.

I hope the weather will improve so we can go fishing this afternoon.

I wish I lived in London. She wishes she was / were richer.

I wish you wouldn’t play such loud music. He wishes his daughter would come home earlier.

I wish I hadn’t eaten so much cake – I’m feeling sick. She wished she had gone to university.