The word “wish” is the desire or hope for something that isn’t easily obtained. It’s a Verb, an abstract Verb, but still a Verb. Often, abstract Verbs are feelings.
Most of us are familiar with the phrase “wish upon a star”, a cliché used to express hope for the most unlikely of outcomes. But today, we are discussing the Verb group “wish […] would.”
You may encounter a Native English speaker saying “I wish you would eat more vegetables.” By saying this, the speaker is expressing a desire for the listener to consume healthier foods.
Using wish + would in a full sentence
What do I need to know about sentences that contain wish and would
There’s something interesting about the wish + would sentence structure. It often contains a Pronoun, Verb, Pronoun, Auxiliary Verb, and a Bare Infinitive. Here’s an example:
I wish you would go.
In the above sentences, we have the Pronoun “I,” the Verb “wish,” the Pronoun “you,” the Auxiliary Verb “would”, and the Bare Infinitive “go.”
Remember, Bare Infinitives are simply the basic Verb form without “to.” Usually, the Bare Infinitive is used in conjunction with Auxiliary Verbs like “would.”
Don’t fret, there’s an easily followed pattern for constructing a “wish + would” sentence: “wish + would” + a Bare Infinitive.
Examples of wish + would
The mother wishes her child would keep quiet.
Yuichi wishes his boss would stop calling him.
Let’s practice
Q1: Try and make your own sentence.
Q2: What do you wish people would stop doing?
Q3: Do you wish people would stop drinking or smoking? Why or why not?
Eigooo, the English Training Chat Application
To improve your English, the best way is to practice every day.
Eigooo supports you with a 24/7 chat service with real teachers.
- You can chat with the teacher one-on-one.
- The teacher will make immediate corrections to your messages.
- No need to make a reservation. You can start whenever you want.
- The free trial is ready.
Sign up now and get free messages to try it out.
