“Wish”: como fazer desejos em inglês

When learning English , many people are in doubt about the use of the word “wish”. Despite being a relatively simple matter, this word ends up confusing. Is this your case? So the next lines and paragraphs will help you a lot.

To begin with, we have to know that the word “wish” basically means (making a wish), request or (having a) wish.

Although widely used as a verb, it can also be applied in some situations as a noun:
Make a wish when you see a shooting star in the sky. (Make a wish when you see a shooting star in the sky.)

As a verb, “wish” is usually used in three different situations. Let’s go to them:

• When we express a wish about the present, something is not the way we would like. In this case, we use the structure: Wish + past tense.

I wish tomorrow were Saturday. (I wish tomorrow was Saturday.)

We wish you traveled with us. (We would like you to travel with us.)

Did you realize that we use tomorrow with were instead of was , which would be common? It’s just that we are using the subjunctive, to talk about something that is not real 🙂 This is the only big change from past use after “wish”.

• We can use “wish” also when we want to express regret for something that has happened in the past and we can’t change it. The structure: wish + phrase with Past Perfect structure (subject + had + participle).

I wish I had studied more. (I wish I had studied more.)

I wish I did n’t say anything. (I would like to have not said anything.)

• There is also the possibility to use wish + phrase with would. This is for when we want to express that we are dissatisfied with something that can be changed in the future (desire for change).

I wish my friends would stop arguing. (I wish my friends would stop fighting.)

I wish this phone would stop ringing! (I wish this phone would stop ringing.)

It is worth noting that, like other verbs, when coupled with the pronouns he, she, and it , “wish” wins “es” at its end.

He wishes he knew more about history. (He would like to know more about history.)

Tip:

The grammatical structure of “wish” is often confusing because we use the past tense to speak of the present tense. Not to be confused, stop translating. If you try to understand the idea, you will learn faster.

So, tell us, what is your wish? And if you wish for help, leave your question in the comments.

Escrito por Rogério Fonseca.