I wish he would realize/him to realize it sooner.

[Marika33]

What's the difference between the two? Could you explain it to me?

• I wish he would realize it sooner.
• I wish him to realize it sooner.

 

[jutfrank]

The first is hard to interpret. Could you give us some context to help understand what it means?

The second is ungrammatical.

 

[Marika33]

The first is hard to interpret. Could you give us some context to help understand what it means?

I want him to realize it sooner. But I don't just want it, I wish it.

 

[Marika33]

• I wish he would realize it sooner.
• I wish him to realize it sooner.

The second is ungrammatical.

Is the second sentence ungrammatical only in this context or is the structure itself bad?

For example, could I say this to my friend on her birthday, "I wish you to achieve all your goals in life!"?

 

[jutfrank]

I want him to realize it sooner. But I don't just want it, I wish it.

It still doesn't make sense. What do you mean? Sooner than what? Are you sure you're not talking about a hope rather than a wish?

Is the second sentence ungrammatical only in this context or is the structure itself bad?

The structure itself is wrong. And it doesn't make sense.

For example, could I say this to my friend on her birthday, "I wish you to achieve all your goals in life!"?

No. There's no structure that goes 'wish somebody to do something'.

 

[Marika33]

It still doesn't make sense. What do you mean? Sooner than what? Are you sure you're not talking about a hope rather than a wish?

It doesn't make sense in English? Weird.

I mean that there's a person who doesn't realize something, I want that person to realize it as soon as possible. But I don't just want it, I wish it. It is my wish (more than just a hope) that he will realize it as soon as possible. I don't really know how else to expain it

 

[jutfrank]

I don't just want it, I wish it.

This tells me that you misunderstand what a wish actually is. It appears that you think a wish is simply a strong desire.

It is my wish (more than just a hope) that he will realize it as soon as possible. I don't really know how else to expain it

I think you've now explained it sufficiently. You're expressing a hope, not a wish. Say it like this:

I really hope he realises as soon as possible.

 

[Marika33]

I really hope he realises as soon as possible.

After we talked about wish yesterday, I went to read some units related to this word in the grammar book English Grammar in Use to refresh my little knowledge on the subject.

This is what I found, Unit 41: wish.

In D, it is said that,
"I wish it would stop raining =
I would like the rain to stop.
We use I wish ... would ... when we would like something to happen or change.
Usually, the speaker doesn't expect this will happen."

In E of the same Unit, it is said that,
"We use I wish ... would ... to say that we want something to happen".

Pretty similar, huh? The only difference is that in D, it is we would like something to happen (or change) while in E, it is we want something to happen.
So now, we can say that English Grammar in Use, Unit 41 claims that they use I wish ... would ... to say that they want or would like something to happen.

This explanation on its own is 100% in line with my goals.

Now that we've all seen on of this, I'd like to ask you, why did you not like my, "I wish he would realize it sooner" (if you didn't like the word "sooner", let this sentence be without it "I wish he would realize it")?
To me, it is the same as "I wish it would stop raining". It's been raining all day and she says, "I wish it would stop raining", but at the same time she, probably, doesn't expect the rain to stop soon. Same (to me) here, "I wish he would realize it (sooner)". "He" doesn't realize something and I want this to change. I want him to realize it. I would like this to happen and I don't really expect it to happen (but there's still a chance - just as in the example with rain).

 

[jutfrank]

Pretty similar, huh? The only difference is that in D, it is we would like something to happen (or change) while in E, it is we want something to happen.

Yes, they're exactly the same.

The key to this is the idea of change. It's not enough to say that 'something to happen' so it isn't a well-developed explanation. The key to the meaning is about some kind kind of change of reality.

So now, we can say that English Grammar in Use, Unit 41 claims that they use I wish ... would ... to say that they want or would like something to happen.

Yes, that just another way for the writer to say the same thing.

This explanation on its own is 100% in line with my goals.

Ah, but the problem is that the explanation is insufficient to teach you what it really means. This is the intermediate-level version of the book, right? I'd advise you not to use that book.

Now that we've all seen on of this, I'd like to ask you, why did you not like my, "I wish he would realize it sooner" (if you didn't like the word "sooner", let this sentence be without it "I wish he would realize it")?

Because I thought that it wasn't what you meant. You didn't give me any context to help understand what you meant. I'm still not sure what you mean. And yes, the word sooner was extremely problematic.

To me, it is the same as "I wish it would stop raining". It's been raining all day and she says, "I wish it would stop raining", but at the same time she, probably, doesn't expect the rain to stop soon.

Well, with respect, they're the same to you because you don't understand the difference. That's what you ought to focus on now.

 

[Marika33]