If and wish sentences Wish

If and wish sentences

Wish

A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used. Several cultures engage in customs that entail wish-granting, such as blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, praying, seeing a shooting star at night, tossing a coin into a wishing well or fountain, breaking the wishbone of a cooked turkey, blowing a dandelion, or writing wishes on a ribbon or a sky lantern. Many believe such wishes can only come true if they are kept a secret from other people. Others, on the other hand, believe that wishes come true only if they are told to someone else.

When we use wish followed by a verb in the to-infinitive form, wish means the same as want, but it is more formal. We do not normally use wish in the continuous form when we use it with a to-infinitive:to Mr Hennessy, please.

Not: I’m wishing to speak to …

We don’t use a that-clause after wish when it is a more formal version of want:you in the summer, if possible.

Not: I wish (that) I visit you in the summer …

Wish + indirect object + direct object

We use wish with two objects, an indirect object + a direct object (underlined), for expressions of good wishes and hopes that good things will happen to people:

(io = indirect object; do = direct object)

Wish

• Wish + that-clause

We use wish with a that-clause when we regret or are sorry that things are not different. We imagine a different past or present:

I just that everything could be as it used to be.

In informal situations, we usually omit that:

 I had his mobile phone number; we could tell him the good news. (I don’t have his mobile phone number; it would be good if I had it.)

 you hadn’t told me how the film ends. You’ve spoilt it for me. (You told me how the film ends; it would have been better if you had not told me.)

Wish + verb forms in the that-clause

The verb forms we use in that-clauses after wish are similar to the verb forms in conditional clauses after if. We use a past verb form for present and future meanings.

Compare:

if	wish
It would be good if we had a bigger car.	I wish we had a bigger car.
It would be good if I knew how to use this DVD player.	I wish I knew how to use this DVD player.

If Conditionals

• Conditional sentences are natural language sentences that express that one thing is contingent on something else, e.g. "If it rains, the picnic will be cancelled." They are so called because the impact of the main clause of the sentence is conditional on the dependent clause. A full conditional thus contains two clauses: a dependent clause called the antecedent (or protasis or if-clause), which expresses the condition, and a main clause called the consequent (or apodosis or then-clause) expressing the result.
• Languages use a variety of grammatical forms and constructions in conditional sentences. The forms of verbs used in the antecedent and consequent are often subject to particular rules as regards their tense, aspect, and mood. Many languages have a specialized type of verb form called the conditional mood – broadly equivalent in meaning to the English "would (do something)" – for use in some types of conditional sentences.

If I was VS If I were

If she was here, she’d disagree.	If she were here, she’d disagree.
If I was rich, I’d give money to charity. -	If I were rich, I’d give money to charity. If I were you, I wouldn’t take that job. (only! Advice!)

Punctuation

Transcript

• - If I were you, I’d grow eyes on the back of my head.
• - Thanks for the advice.
• - That’s free.

Thanks for your attention!!!