EXPRESSING WISH IN 
ENGLISH 
MAYTE GARRIDO 
ESL COACH
WISHES ABOUT THE PRESENT and 
FUTURE 
• I WISH (+SUBJ+PAST SIMPLE+COMPLEMENTS) Ojalá… 
• I wish I had more time to spend with you. 
• I wish I didn’t have to go to school 
• IF ONLY (+SUBJ+PAST SIMPLE+ COMPLEMENTS) Ojalá… 
• If only I had a private jet. 
• If only I were an Indian!
WISHES ABOUT THE PAST 
• I WISH (+SUBJ+PAST PARTICIPLE+ COMPLEMENTS) 
• I wish I had known the answer before 
• I wish I hadn’t come back home sooner! 
• IF ONLY (+SUBJ+ PAST PARTICIPLE+COMPLEMENTS) 
• If only I hadn’t eated that much! 
• If only I had studied more! 
• Se trata de lamentos (regrets), y equivalen al condicional tipo 3 (subj+past 
participle, subj+would+have+participle)
WISH +WOULD (quejas) 
• I wish you would stop smoking. 
• I wish it would stop raining. 
• I wish she'd be quiet. 
• We use wish + would + infinitive to express impatience, annoyance 
or dissatisfaction with a present action.
I WISH I COULD ojalá 
• I wish I could see you soon 
• I wish I could join the basketball team 
• We wish we could fly. 
• To talk about personal wishes especially with an ‘undelying’meaning 
‘be able to’ (para expresar deseos personales pero con un sentido de 
‘ser capaz de’)
PREFER 
preferir (en una situación en general) 
• (+NOUN) I prefer red to blue. 
• (+ING) I prefer running to jogging. 
• (TO INFINITIVE) I prefer to stay here. 
• WOULD PREFER (PREFERIRÍA) 
• I’d prefer to study Law. 
• I’d prefer a cup of coffee.
Would rather (‘d rather)/ Would prefer (‘d prefer) 
preferiría (en una situación determinada) 
• WOULD RATHER (PREFERIRÍA) 
• I’d rather not leave now. 
• She’d rather be at home. 
• If you want somebody to do something: I’d rather you came earlier. 
• WOULD PREFER (PREFERIRÍA) 
• I’d prefer to study Law. 
• I’d prefer a cup of coffee.
WOULD LIKE (present and past) 
• I WOULD LIKE …(PRESENT) 
• (+NOUN) I would like a new opportunity. 
• (+ OBJECT) I would like Mr Johnson to be nicer. 
• (+INFINITIVE) I would like to see you. 
• I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO…(PAST) 
(+ INFINITIVE) I would have liked to speak better French. 
(+OBJECT) I would have liked him to be more polite
I WANT/ DESIRE (present and past) 
• (+INFINITIVE) I desire to be alone, please. 
• (+OBJECT) I want you to sit down and listen 
• (+NOUN)I wanted some paper for the printer
I HOPE 
• I hope the weather will be fine tomorrow. 
• I hope you have a good time in Paris. 
• I hope it’s sunny tomorrow 
• To express that you want something to happen in the future (not 
talking about wanting an action or situation to be different, and not 
talking about impatience or annoyance) we use hope, not wish.
PRACTICE 
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar-reference/wish-and-if-only 
http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-if-only-I-wish-2.php#.VCHSF_l_uSo 
 http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=5841 
Related song: Wish you were here by Pink Floyd
PLEASE VISIT MY BLOG… 
www.mayenglishcorner.blogspot.co.uk 
This presentation has been made only for learning/teaching purposes 
THANKYOU FOR WATCHING AND SHARING! 
You can e-mail me to: mayteled@Gmail.com

Expressing wish and regret in English

  • 1.
    EXPRESSING WISH IN ENGLISH MAYTE GARRIDO ESL COACH
  • 2.
    WISHES ABOUT THEPRESENT and FUTURE • I WISH (+SUBJ+PAST SIMPLE+COMPLEMENTS) Ojalá… • I wish I had more time to spend with you. • I wish I didn’t have to go to school • IF ONLY (+SUBJ+PAST SIMPLE+ COMPLEMENTS) Ojalá… • If only I had a private jet. • If only I were an Indian!
  • 3.
    WISHES ABOUT THEPAST • I WISH (+SUBJ+PAST PARTICIPLE+ COMPLEMENTS) • I wish I had known the answer before • I wish I hadn’t come back home sooner! • IF ONLY (+SUBJ+ PAST PARTICIPLE+COMPLEMENTS) • If only I hadn’t eated that much! • If only I had studied more! • Se trata de lamentos (regrets), y equivalen al condicional tipo 3 (subj+past participle, subj+would+have+participle)
  • 4.
    WISH +WOULD (quejas) • I wish you would stop smoking. • I wish it would stop raining. • I wish she'd be quiet. • We use wish + would + infinitive to express impatience, annoyance or dissatisfaction with a present action.
  • 5.
    I WISH ICOULD ojalá • I wish I could see you soon • I wish I could join the basketball team • We wish we could fly. • To talk about personal wishes especially with an ‘undelying’meaning ‘be able to’ (para expresar deseos personales pero con un sentido de ‘ser capaz de’)
  • 6.
    PREFER preferir (enuna situación en general) • (+NOUN) I prefer red to blue. • (+ING) I prefer running to jogging. • (TO INFINITIVE) I prefer to stay here. • WOULD PREFER (PREFERIRÍA) • I’d prefer to study Law. • I’d prefer a cup of coffee.
  • 7.
    Would rather (‘drather)/ Would prefer (‘d prefer) preferiría (en una situación determinada) • WOULD RATHER (PREFERIRÍA) • I’d rather not leave now. • She’d rather be at home. • If you want somebody to do something: I’d rather you came earlier. • WOULD PREFER (PREFERIRÍA) • I’d prefer to study Law. • I’d prefer a cup of coffee.
  • 8.
    WOULD LIKE (presentand past) • I WOULD LIKE …(PRESENT) • (+NOUN) I would like a new opportunity. • (+ OBJECT) I would like Mr Johnson to be nicer. • (+INFINITIVE) I would like to see you. • I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO…(PAST) (+ INFINITIVE) I would have liked to speak better French. (+OBJECT) I would have liked him to be more polite
  • 9.
    I WANT/ DESIRE(present and past) • (+INFINITIVE) I desire to be alone, please. • (+OBJECT) I want you to sit down and listen • (+NOUN)I wanted some paper for the printer
  • 10.
    I HOPE •I hope the weather will be fine tomorrow. • I hope you have a good time in Paris. • I hope it’s sunny tomorrow • To express that you want something to happen in the future (not talking about wanting an action or situation to be different, and not talking about impatience or annoyance) we use hope, not wish.
  • 11.
  • 12.
    PLEASE VISIT MYBLOG… www.mayenglishcorner.blogspot.co.uk This presentation has been made only for learning/teaching purposes THANKYOU FOR WATCHING AND SHARING! You can e-mail me to: mayteled@Gmail.com