Wishes and regrets: I wish/if only

Wishes and regrets: I wish/if only

Exercise 2

Choose the correct option to complete the sentences

Please wait...

1 I wish I _______ a better job. I don’t enjoy this kind of work.

A.had

B.had had

C.would have had

D.would have

2 I wish you _______ so late. I'm tired of always waiting for you!

A.wouldn't always have arrived

B.wouldn't always arrive

C.hadn't always arrived

D.didn't always arrive

3 I wish you ______ your bedroom. It’s a mess!

A.tidied up

B.would have tidied up

C.would tidy up

D.had tidied up

4 I wish it _______ raining. This rain is annoying. I want to go out.

A.would have stopped

B.would stop

C.stopped

D.had stopped

5 I’m starving. I wish I _______ breakfast this morning.

A.would eat

B.had eaten

C.ate

D.would have eaten

6 I wish my train _______ now. I’m going to be late for work again.

A.would come

B.did come

C.had come

D.would have come

7 This book is so boring. I wish I _______ reading it.

A.wouldn't have started

B.hadn't started

C.didn't start

D.wouldn't start

8 I missed my flight yesterday. If only I _______ a bit earlier!

A.would get up

B.got up

C.would have got up

D.had got up

9 I wish I _______ to go to work today.

A.wouldn't have had

B.wouldn't have

C.didn't have

D.hadn't had

10 If only he _______ here. He’d know what to do.

A.would have been

B.would be

C.had been

D.was

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I wish/if only: Grammar chart

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I wish I did

We can use wish + subject + past simple to talk about things that we would like to be different in the present or future (but that are very unlikely or impossible).

• I wish things were different, but this is the way they are.  
• We wish we had enough money to help you.
• I wish I could be there for you tomorrow.  

I wish I had done

We can use wish + subject + past perfect to talk about things that happened in the past and that we regret (we would have wanted them to be different).

• I wish I hadn’t quit my job two years ago. 
• I wish we hadn’t wasted all that money. 

I wish you would do

We can use wish + person/thing + would + infinitive when we talk about situations that annoy us and would like them to change or to stop.

• I wish you would stop biting your nails. I hate it when you do it.
• I wish it would stop raining. It’s been three days!

We can NOT use this structure to wish about ourselves:

• I wish I would…

If only

We can use if only instead of I wish with a very similar meaning. The only difference is that if only is more emphatic.

• If only I was/were a bit taller!*
• If only you had followed my advice. 
• If only you would make a bit of an effort. You are wasting your life! 

🔍 Note that we can use were instead of was with I/he/she after I wish/if only.