Ali is very tired and wishes he in bed! a is b was c would be d had been

[abo.omar]

Ali is very tired and wishes he...................... in bed!

a is

b was

c would be

d had been

My answer is b.
Does would be work here?

 

[GoesStation]

No. As an American, I'd use the subjunctive were. British English speakers use the subjunctive far less than we do.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'd use the subjunctive but it's not one of the choices, so "was" is the only grammatically possible answer.

 

[Rollercoaster1]

No. As an American, I'd use the subjunctive were. British English speakers use the subjunctive far less than we do.

I thought British people use subjunctive were when they want to express/wish a possiblity of a state in the present.

 

[5jj]

Some of us use the subjunctive but many don't.

 

[canadalynx]

Ali is very tired and wishes he...................... in bed!

a is

b was

c would be

d had been

My answer is b.
Does would be work here?

I am not a teacher.

"Would be" doesn't work in this sentence.

PS: For the same sentence, both "was" and "were" can be accepted in some places.

 

[Glizdka]

Not a teacher
------

If there were were, not was, that would be the correct answer, but were isn't there; there are only is, was, would be, and had been, so was is correct here. Would be would be correct if the context were different, say, "Ali is very tired because he's been doing his homework all day, and he wishes his teacher wouldn't give him so much homework because this happens too often". I've seen many exercises like this one, where were wasn't there as a possible answer, and I wish were had been there.

I hope my words weren't confusing.

 

[5jj]

I hope my words weren't confusing.

They wasn't. ;-)

 

[abo.omar]

Not a teacher
------

If there were were, not was, that would be the correct answer, but were isn't there; there are only is, was, would be, and had been, so was is correct here. Would be would be correct if the context were different, say, "Ali is very tired because he's been doing his homework all day, and he wishes his teacher wouldn't give him so much homework because this happens too often". I've seen many exercises like this one, where were wasn't there as a possible answer, and I wish were had been there.

I hope my words weren't confusing.

they are so clear.

 

[abo.omar]

They wasn't. ;-)

I agree with you. They was not confusing.

 

[abo.omar]

Here is the source of the sentence, an school Egyptian book written by native teachers.

 

[abo.omar]

I thought British people use subjunctive were when they want to express/wish a possiblity of a state in the present.

Can you give me different sentences?

 

[emsr2d2]

Different sentences for what? No one has queried the existence of the exercise you showed us. We all agreed that, of the four options provided, b) was the only acceptable response to that exercise. We were simply commenting that many of us would use "were".

 

[abo.omar]

Different sentences for what? No one has queried the existence of the exercise you showed us. We all agreed that, of the four options provided, b) was the only acceptable response to that exercise. We were simply commenting that many of us would use "were".

Rollercoaster1 has suggested a way to differentiate the use of was and were , so I want more sentence on that part.

 

[Tarheel]

View attachment 4030Here is the source of the sentence, an school Egyptian book written by native teachers.

You need to switch two of those words.

(I would use "was" in that sentence as would many Americans.)