Grammar

Verbs
Wish

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The word wish is similar in meaning to the expression "would like":

I wish I had a big house = I would like to have a big house.

I wish I had been there = I would like to have been there.
I wish you would stop talking = I would like you to stop talking.
I wish to see the manager = I would like to see the manager.
I wish you a Merry Christmas = I would like you to have a Merry Christmas.

Its main use is to express regret that things are not different. It is possible to use wish in this way to talk
about both the present/future and the past:
I wish (that) I weren't here now.
I wish (that) I didn't have to go to school tomorrow.
I wish (that) I had studied harder when I was at school.
Notice that the verb tenses that follow wish are the same as those used in the second and third conditionals
(see Grammar definitions).
http://members.nbci.com/afonichev/murphy/unit0038.html
http://members.nbci.com/afonichev/murphy/unit0039.html
Also notice the word that can be omitted in more informal speech.
The expression wish would is used to talk about (lack of) willingness to do things:
I wish you would tidy your room.
I wish you wouldn't always come home so late.
http://members.nbci.com/afonichev/murphy/unit0040.html
In a formal style, wish + (object) + infinitive can be used in the same way as "want":
I wish to speak to the director.
Do you wish me to serve refreshments, sir?
http://www.bartleby.com/64/C003/0305.html
Wish is also used in some fixed expressions:
I/we wish you a Merry Christmas (and a Happy New Year).
I/we wish you well/all the best.
For more information on the different uses of wish see:
http://faculty.washington.edu/marynell/grammar/wish.html
For some quizzes using wish see:
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/wish1.htm
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/wishes.htm
http://www.better-english.com/grammar/wish2.htm
To see many examples of the use of wish see the Web Concordancer:
http://vlc.polyu.edu.hk/scripts/concordance/WWWConcappE.htm
Type wish into the "search string" field, select any corpus in the "select corpus" field, and click on the
"search for concordances" button.

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