Wishes: "wish" and "if only"

Do you know how to use wish and if only to talk about things you would like to change?

Look at these examples to see how wish and if only are used.

• That guy is so annoying! I wish he'd stop talking.

• I wish I lived closer to my family.

• If only I hadn't lost her phone number. She must think I'm so rude for not calling her.

• I wish they wouldn't park their car in front of my house.

Explanation

We can use "wish" and "if only" to express an unlikely or impossible desire or a regret: with the past simple to express an impossible desire in the present.

We use wish and if only to talk about things that we would like to be different in either the present or the past. If only is usually a bit stronger than wish.

In the present

We can use wish/if only + a past form to talk about a present situation we would like to be different.

• I wish you didn't live so far away.

• If only we knew what to do.

• He wishes he could afford a holiday.

In the past

We can use wish/if only + a past perfect form to talk about something we would like to change about the past.

• They wish they hadn't eaten so much chocolate. They're feeling very sick now.

• If only I'd studied harder when I was at school.

Expressing annoyance

We can use wish + would(n't) to show that we are annoyed with what someone or something does or doesn't do. We often feel that they are unlikely or unwilling to change.

• I wish you wouldn't borrow my clothes without asking.

• I wish it would rain. The garden really needs some water.

• She wishes he'd work less. They never spend any time together.