i wish

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5jj

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Neither is correct. You need "I hope I never serve like that guy'.
 

NDQuattro

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Barb_D

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We don't use "wish" for the future, including a future conditional.
 

NDQuattro

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We don't use "wish" for the future, including a future conditional.

and also you don't use negative form with 'wish', do you?

[STRIKE]I wish I would not[/STRIKE] = wrong.
 

NDQuattro

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Thank you all.

And one last question)
Can I say like this?

I do not wish I served like that guy
 

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Barb_D

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Well... what you can say grammatically and what is natural to a situation are not the same.

"I do not wish I served like that guy"
You are watching a tennis match with your friend. You say "You know, I wish I played a better game of tennis." The "guy" serves into the net four times in a row. Then you say, "But I don't wish I served like that guy." -- This specific situation is okay.

In most cases "I'm glad I don't serve like that guy" (you know you don't) or "I hope I don't serve like that guy" (you're not sure how good your serve is) or "I wish I didn't serve like that guy" (because, in fact, you do) would be more likely.

"I wish I could not fly" would only make sense if you can, in fact fly, and wish you couldn't. It seems an odd wish. Maybe you really don't want to go to your brother-in-law's birthday party in Las Vegas and would love to say "I can't get in there in time. Sorry!" but you know you could, because you could fly there if you really wanted to go. What do you think this means?

"I wish I wouldn't" is okay too. Let's say you're really shy. "I wish I wouldn't get so nervous when I have to speak in public."
 

5jj

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"I wish I wouldn't get so nervous when I have to speak in public."

That sounds very unnatural to this speaker of BrE. I can wish that somebody else wouldn't do something, or wish that I didn't do something, but not wish that I wouldn't do something.
 

NDQuattro

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This means i don't like gambling :) And yes, i meant i can fly(actually i can't but sometimes i confuse my dreams with reality).
Yes, i created that sentence about serving after coaches 2 doubles in a row :)

Thank you, Barb_D. I wish I were where you are so i could buy you some juice. You're the best.
 

Barb_D

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"I wish I wouldn't get so nervous when I have to speak in public."

That sounds very unnatural to this speaker of BrE. I can wish that somebody else wouldn't do something, or wish that I didn't do something, but not wish that I wouldn't do something.

"I wish I didn't" is quite natural and common in AmE too, but I was thinking of that use of "wouldn't" when you're frustrated. In my dialect that frustration of "I wish he wouldn't interrupt so often!" or "I wish the car wouldn't give me such a hard time on cold mornings!" could apply to my frustration with my own shortcomings or irritating (to me) aspects, like getting tongue-tied in public. The idea is that you have limited control over these things.
 
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