B2 Upper-intermediate Conditionals, wish and modal perfect
wish and if only
Lesson goal. After this lesson you can express wishes and regrets with wish and if only, using the right tense for each type.
When to use it
- Wishing the present were different: I wish I had more time.
- Regretting the past: I wish I had studied harder.
- Complaining, wanting a habit to change: I wish he would stop shouting.
Form
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| wish + past simple | I wish I knew the answer. |
| wish + past perfect | I wish I had gone to the party. |
| wish + would + verb | I wish it would stop raining. |
| use were for every subject | I wish I were taller. |
| same grammar, more emphatic | If only I had listened! |
Step by step
- Ask: is the regret about now or about the past?
- Now → step back one: use the past simple.
- Past → step back two: use the past perfect.
- If it is a complaint about a repeated habit → use would.
The fact behind each wish
| Wish | Reality |
|---|---|
| I wish I had a car. | I don't have a car. |
| I wish I had had a car then. | I didn't have a car then. |
| I wish he would listen. | He just won't listen. |
| I wish I were taller. | I'm not tall. |
Examples
I wish I had more free time.
I wish I were better at maths.
I wish I had studied harder last year.
She wishes she hadn't sent that email.
I wish it would stop raining.
If only I had listened to my parents!
Common mistakes
I wish I am rich. → I wish I were rich.
Never use a present tense after wish. Even with present meaning, the form steps back.
I wish I will have more time. → I wish I had more time.
No will after wish. To ask for a change use would.
I wish I would be taller. → I wish I were taller.
would is for complaining about what someone else does, not about your own state.
Memory tip
The principle: after wish, step the tense back one. Present becomes past, past becomes past perfect. That step is what signals this is not real.
Summary
- Present regret → wish + past simple (were with to be).
- Past regret → wish + past perfect.
- Complaint → wish + would. Never a present tense or will after wish.
Practise this lesson
Do exercises with an explanation for every question, take mini tests and track your progress on GrammUp.