Quote:
Originally Posted by beachboy  If I had a car, I'd drive every day. I wish I had a car
If I bought a car, I'd drive every day. I wish I could buy a car.
I can't explain why it's not right to say "I wish I bought a car". Can anybody help me? |
You helped yourself, BB. You wrote,
"If I [could have a]
had to guess, I'd say that the difference between "I wish I had a car" and "I wish I could buy a car" is that to have is a verb of state, and to buy is a verb of action, but it's not clear for me."
The fact situation for this is,
"I didn't buy a car."
The opposite/the counterfactual to that is,
"If I had bought a car, OR "I wish I had bought a car"
The other fact situation is,
"I don't have a car."
The opposite/the counterfactual to that is,
"If I had a car." OR "I wish I had a car."