Wish If Only

Respuesta correcta: A) I wish I knew the answer to this question.

• A) I wish I knew the answer to this question.Correct! 'Knew' is the past simple used after 'wish', because the wish concerns a situation in the present that is not real.
• B) I wish I know the answer to this question.'Know' is the present simple and would describe a real situation rather than an unreal one.
• C) I wish I would know the answer to this question.'Would know' places a modal after the subject, but 'wish' is normally followed by the past simple.
• D) I wish I knowing the answer to this question.'Knowing' is an -ing form and needs the auxiliary 'were' before it, as in 'I wish I were knowing'.

Respuesta correcta: D) He wishes he had more time to finish the project.

• A) He wishes he having more time to finish the project.'Having' needs the auxiliary 'were' before it, so the form would have to be 'he were having'.
• B) He wishes he has more time to finish the project.'Has' is the present simple and would describe a real amount of time rather than a wish about a larger amount.
• C) He wishes he would has more time to finish the project.'Would has' combines a modal with a present form, which does not occur after 'wishes'.
• D) He wishes he had more time to finish the project.Correct! 'Wishes he had' follows the standard pattern of a wish about the present, with 'had' after the subject.

Respuesta correcta: B) If only I listened to my parents more often!

• A) If only I listen to my parents more often!'Listen' is the present simple and would express a real possibility rather than an unreal regret.
• B) If only I listened to my parents more often!Correct! 'If only' is followed by the past simple, expressing regret about a situation in the present that cannot now change.
• C) If only I would listen to my parents more often!'Would listen' places a modal after the subject, but 'if only' is normally followed by the past simple.
• D) If only I am listening to my parents more often!'Am listening' is a present continuous and describes what is happening now, not a wish about the past.

Respuesta correcta: C) She wished she had not said those words so harshly.

• A) She wished she had not say those words so harshly.'Had not say' uses the base form after 'had not'; that construction needs the past participle.
• B) She wished she did not say those words so harshly.'Did not say' is the past simple negative, which belongs to the third conditional rather than to a wish.
• C) She wished she had not said those words so harshly.Correct! 'Had not said' is the past perfect negative, which places the words before the moment of wishing.
• D) She wished she not had said those words so harshly.'Not had' places 'not' in front of the auxiliary, but English forms the negative as 'had not'.

Respuesta correcta: A) I wish my brother were more careful with his homework.

• A) I wish my brother were more careful with his homework.Correct! 'Were' is the subjunctive form used after 'wish' to describe a present quality that is not true.
• B) I wish my brother was more careful with his homework.'Was' is the past simple, which is the form used in a second conditional but not after 'wish' in standard English.
• C) I wish my brother would be more careful with his homework.'Would be' places a modal after the subject; a wish takes the past subjunctive instead.
• D) I wish my brother be more careful with his homework.'Be' is the bare infinitive and needs a past form before it in a wish about the present.

Respuesta correcta: C) They had left before the party started, so we really wish they had stayed.

• A) They had left before the party started, so we really wished they stay.'Wished they stay' uses the present simple after the past tense of 'wish', which is not the correct backshift.
• B) They had left before the party started, so we really wish they had stay.'Had stay' uses the base form after 'had'; that construction needs the past participle.
• C) They had left before the party started, so we really wish they had stayed.Correct! 'Wish they had stayed' is the standard wish about a regret in the past, using 'had' plus the participle.
• D) They had left before the party started, so we really wish they had been stay.'Had been stay' uses a participle after 'been' where the wish needs the past perfect 'had stayed'.

Respuesta correcta: D) I wish I could drive, because I would like to travel on my own.

• A) I wish I am can drive, because I would like to travel on my own.'Am can' combines two auxiliaries, which is not a grammatical structure in English.
• B) I wish I can drive, because I would like to travel on my own.'Can' is the present form and would describe a real ability rather than an unreal wish.
• C) I wish I would can drive, because I would like to travel on my own.'Would can' combines two modals, and that combination does not exist in English.
• D) I wish I could drive, because I would like to travel on my own.Correct! 'Could' is the past form of 'can' used after 'wish', because the wish concerns an ability the speaker does not have.

Respuesta correcta: B) He wishes he studied more chemistry at school.

• A) He wishes he study more chemistry at school.'Study' is the base form and would describe a real wish about the present without backshift.
• B) He wishes he studied more chemistry at school.Correct! 'Studied' is the past simple with the consonant plus -y spelling rule, and it is the form a wish requires.
• C) He wishes he would studied more chemistry at school.'Would studied' places a modal before a past form, which never occurs after 'wishes'.
• D) He wishes he studys more chemistry at school.'Studys' adds the third person ending, but the past simple has no ending and no -s.

Respuesta correcta: A) I wish we did not argue about money every single month.

• A) I wish we did not argue about money every single month.Correct! 'Did not argue' is the negative past simple and is the form a wish about a present habit requires.
• B) I wish we not argued about money every single month.'Not argued' places 'not' before the verb, but English needs the auxiliary 'did' before the negation.
• C) I wish we did not arguing about money every single month.'Did not arguing' uses the -ing form after 'did not', where the base form is required.
• D) I wish we are not argue about money every single month.'Are not argue' mixes the auxiliary 'are' with a base form, which is not a valid structure.

Respuesta correcta: B) I wish my phone worked properly; it keeps turning off.

• A) I wish my phone work properly; it keeps turning off.'Work' is the base form and would describe a real situation rather than a wish.
• B) I wish my phone worked properly; it keeps turning off.Correct! 'Worked' is the past simple after 'wish' and describes the situation the speaker is not living at present.
• C) I wish my phone would works properly; it keeps turning off.'Would works' mixes a modal with a present form, which never happens after 'wish'.
• D) I wish my phone working properly; it keeps turning off.'Working' is an -ing form and needs the auxiliary 'were' before it.

Respuesta correcta: D) She wished that everything were different when she was a student.

• A) She wished that everything be different when she was a student.'Be' is the bare infinitive and needs a past subjunctive before it in a wish.
• B) She wished that everything was different when she was a student.'Was' is the past simple, but a wish uses 'were' to describe the unreal situation of the past.
• C) She wished that everything would be different when she was a student.'Would be' places a modal in the that clause, which is not the structure of a wish.
• D) She wished that everything were different when she was a student.Correct! 'Wished that everything were' reports the wish with the subjunctive 'were', as a that clause requires.

Respuesta correcta: C) I wish you told me earlier when you change your plans.

• A) I wish you would told me earlier when you change your plans.'Would told' mixes a modal with a past form, which never occurs after 'wish'.
• B) I wish you tell me earlier when you change your plans.'Tell' is the base form and would describe a real request rather than an unreal wish.
• C) I wish you told me earlier when you change your plans.Correct! 'Told' is the irregular past simple required after 'wish', in the same sentence structure.
• D) I wish you telling me earlier when you change your plans.'Telling' is an -ing form and needs the auxiliary 'were' before it.

Respuesta correcta: A) He wishes he did not drink so much coffee in the evening.

• A) He wishes he did not drink so much coffee in the evening.Correct! 'Did not drink' is the negative past simple and is the form a wish about a present habit takes.
• B) He wished he not drank so much coffee in the evening.'Not drank' places 'not' before the verb and uses the past simple, so it carries the negation in the wrong way.
• C) He wishes he did not drinking so much coffee in the evening.'Did not drinking' uses the -ing form after the auxiliary, where the base form belongs.
• D) He wishes he is not drink so much coffee in the evening.'Is not drink' mixes the auxiliary 'is' with a base form, which is not a valid structure.

Respuesta correcta: C) If only the government listened to the young people who protest!

• A) If only the government would listen to the young people who protest!'Would listen' places a modal after the subject, but 'if only' is followed by the past simple.
• B) If only the government listens to the young people who protest!'Listens' is the present simple third person singular and would describe a real, repeated action.
• C) If only the government listened to the young people who protest!Correct! 'Listened' is the past simple after 'if only', which expresses a wish about a situation in the present.
• D) If only the government listening to the young people who protest!'Listening' needs the auxiliary 'were' before it, so the clause would be 'if only the government were listening'.

Respuesta correcta: B) I wish my grandmother didn't live so far away from us.

• A) I wish my grandmother not lived so far away from us.'Not lived' places 'not' before the verb, but English needs the auxiliary 'did' before the negation.
• B) I wish my grandmother didn't live so far away from us.Correct! 'Didn't live' is the negative past simple, which is the form a wish about a present situation takes.
• C) I wish my grandmother didn't living so far away from us.'Didn't living' uses the -ing form after the auxiliary, where the base form is required.
• D) I wish my grandmother isn't live so far away from us.'Isn't live' mixes the auxiliary 'is' with a base form, which is not a grammatical structure.

Respuesta correcta: D) She said she wished she were able to join the expedition.

• A) She said she wished she be able to join the expedition.'Be' is the bare infinitive and needs a past subjunctive before it.
• B) She said she wished she was able to join the expedition.'Was' is the ordinary past simple, but a wish requires 'were' in this expression.
• C) She said she wished she would be able to join the expedition.'Would be' places a modal after the subject and is not the form used in a wish clause.
• D) She said she wished she were able to join the expedition.Correct! In reported speech the wish keeps the subjunctive 'were', so the structure reads 'wished she were'.

Respuesta correcta: A) I wish I were able to speak three languages by now.

• A) I wish I were able to speak three languages by now.Correct! 'Were able' is the subjunctive of 'be able', which is the form a wish about the present requires.
• B) I wish I was able to speak three languages by now.'Was able' is the past simple, but a wish uses 'were' in this expression.
• C) I wish I would able to speak three languages by now.'Would able' is missing the verb 'be', which a modal always requires before an adjective.
• D) I wish I am able to speak three languages by now.'Am able' describes a real ability rather than a wish about an ability the speaker lacks.

Respuesta correcta: B) What a shame that we missed the last train!

• A) What a shame that we miss the last train!'Miss' is the present simple and would describe a habit rather than the missed train of last night.
• B) What a shame that we missed the last train!Correct! 'Missed' is the past simple, which reports the completed event that the regret is about.
• C) What a shame that we would missed the last train!'Would missed' mixes a modal with a past form, which never happens in English.
• D) What a shame that we missing the last train!'Missing' is an -ing form and needs the auxiliary 'were' before it.

Respuesta correcta: D) I wish you would stop making so much noise.

• A) I wish you would stopping so much noise.'Stopping' needs an auxiliary before it, so it cannot follow 'would stop' as written.
• B) I wish you would stop to make so much noise.'Stop to make' describes starting another action, which would mean stopping in order to make noise.
• C) I wish you would stop made so much noise.'Stop made' uses a past participle where the gerund belongs after this particular verb.
• D) I wish you would stop making so much noise.Correct! After 'stop' the gerund names the activity that is being interrupted: stop making noise means stop doing it.

Respuesta correcta: C) Everyone says they wish the government acted faster on housing problems.

• A) Everyone says they wish the government would acted faster on housing problems.'Would acted' mixes a modal with a past form, which never occurs in a wish clause.
• B) Everyone says they wish the government acts faster on housing problems.'Acts' is the present simple and would describe what the government actually does.
• C) Everyone says they wish the government acted faster on housing problems.Correct! 'Acted' is the past simple required in a wish clause, and the sense is that the government does not act faster.
• D) Everyone says they wish the government acting faster on housing problems.'Acting' is an -ing form and needs the auxiliary 'were' before it.