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Wishes and regrets: I wish/if only

Exercises Explanation Downloads
  • Exercises: 1 2 3

    Wishes and regrets: I wish/if only

    Exercise 2

    Choose the correct option to complete the sentences
    1 I wish I _______ a better job. I don’t enjoy this kind of work.
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.
    2 I wish you _______ so late. I'm tired of always waiting for you!
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.
    3 I wish you ______ your bedroom. It’s a mess!
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.
    4 I wish it _______ raining. This rain is annoying. I want to go out.
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.
    5 I’m starving. I wish I _______ breakfast this morning.
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.
    6 I wish my train _______ now. I’m going to be late for work again.
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.
    7 This book is so boring. I wish I _______ reading it.
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.
    8 I missed my flight yesterday. If only I _______ a bit earlier!
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.
    9 I wish I _______ to go to work today.
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.
    10 If only he _______ here. He’d know what to do.
    A.
    B.
    C.
    D.

     

    Exercises: 1 2 3

  • I wish/if only: Grammar chart

    Grammar chart explaining "I wish" and "If only" with past simple, past perfect, and "would" structures, plus common mistakes.

    Download full-size image from Pinterest

    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.

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