[Grammar] How to use I WISH properly

[enricol88]

Hello everybody.
Today I'd like to ask you something about the use of the verb Wish.

My question doesn't involve all of uses, but just 3 of them. Let's give an example to be clearer:

1) I wish (that) I spoke French.
2) I wish (that) I would speak French.
3) I wish (that) I had spoken French.

Now, what I know is that in 3) we regret about something happened in the past, but we wanted that action had happened differently (the action has finished and we can't change it anymore); it basically means that we wanted (in the past) speak French, but we didn't and now we can't do anything to change this situation. Is that right???

My doubt now is about 1) and 2).
How to use them properly?? and, especially, how to distinguish them??
I mean, I read lots of explanations about it, but they seem to be approximately the same to my mind.

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[J&K Tutoring]

I'm afraid you're wrong all 'round.

1. You want to be able to speak French.

2. Does not make sense. You are able to speak French, but you don't and you don't know why. If it was: 'I wish (that) I could speak French' then it would mean the same as #1.

3. You are able to speak French, but on that particular occasion you didn't, and now you regret it.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Hello, Enrico:

I have made up these sentences.

1. I wish newspapers reported all the news. ( = They don't report all the news.)

2. I wish newspapers would report all the news. ( = I want them to report all the news.)

3. I wish newspapers had reported all the news about that incident. ( = They didn't report all the news about that incident.)

 

[Matthew Wai]

'I wish I would win the lottery.'── I want to win the lottery.

 

[MikeNewYork]

You might want to Google "wish conditional" for more information.

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

'I wish I would…' is wrong in BrE.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I wish you would explain why.

 

[enricol88]

Thanks to everybody for your anwers...you're really helpful in this forum

In order to follow what J&K Tutoring, I've perfectly understood now that "I wish I could" is exactly the same like "I wish I spoke" because we are using in both cases the simple past and actually if I use "Could" it sounds even more natural.

But having said that, in which case should I use "I wish I would (+verb)"??
As ROMAN 55 suggested, is that not a British sentence???
But I've actually read that more than once.

I'll be greatful if you will keep helping me about this thread.

Thanks again

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

'I wish you would…' is fine. It's 'I wish I would…' that's the problem. If you are the subject of your own wish, then just do it.

'I wish I could…' is another matter.

 

[MikeNewYork]

I have no problem with "I wish I would" in appropriate contexts. The lottery is one of them. Even if it is the speaker's wish, the speaker cannot just go out and do it.

 

[Matthew Wai]

It's 'I wish I would…' that's the problem. If you are the subject of your own wish, then just do it.

Would you think I could just do it if I said 'I wish I would become the next Chinese president'?

 

[MikeNewYork]

The Ngram hits are small, but the Google hits are huge: 66 million.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Matthew, I would vote for you. ;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

I know it is acceptable in AmE. When you finish checking the 60 million, let me know. :lol:

 

[Matthew Wai]

Or narrow it down to one million in Google Books.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Hello, Enrico:

I have found a very balanced and informative article about this matter on the Web.

When you find time, please go to the Google search engine and type in these words:

"Why it is incorrect to say, 'I wish I would'?"

It should be the first result that comes up.


Best wishes

 

[TheParser]

You have linked to the wrong result.

The first result has the exact title that I typed.

 

[Matthew Wai]

I got the same result as Piscean did. I am in China.

 

[TheParser]

Type in the exact title of the article.

It is possible that the website (freedictionary.com forums) may be blocked in some countries.

 

[Matthew Wai]

TheParser, I wish you would simply post the link here next time as below.

http://forum.thefreedictionary.com/postst37363_Why-is-it-incorrect-to-say--I-wish-I-would--.aspx