wish?

Question

I am studying the verb "wish". It is often followed by a clause in the subjunctive mood. I wonder only state verbs can appear in the clause in the past form, while action verbs must be proceded by a modal auxiliary verb.

I wish that I were a bird.

(1) I wish that I flew. (2) I wish I could fly. It seems to me (1) doesn't make a sense, (2) does.

(3) I wish that I moved to another planet. (4) I wish that I could move to another planet. "Move" is a verb that the action it represents is instant. In (3), "move" is treated as a regular occurance which tells the reader that "I often move", "moving is a regular activity for me." This inpretation is not what the speaker expects. From the above I thought that an action verb must be preceded by an auxiliary verb.

(5) I wish that I had moved to another planet. "Move" appears in the perfect form, which I interpret as a completed action. "I am on another planet." Actions verbs in the perfect form don't follow an auxiliary verb.

I'd like to hear your opinions to clarify the observation. Thanks a lot.

Optimus · Accepted Answer

It seems that there's no or little difference in meaning between (1) and (2).
(3) and (4) seem to indicate a present impossible situation, and (5) expresses past regrets as you said.
I'd also like to hear experts' opinions on this.

wishing for the impossible: wish that + past tenses

To express wishes for unlikely or impossible situations and to express regrets,
we use wish that + constructions with would, could, was, were or past tenses.
Note that although we are using past tense forms, we are talking about present and future situations. Compare the following:

I don't speak any foreign languages, but I wish (that) I could speak Spanish. I'm hopeless at foreign languages, but I wish I spoke Spanish and French.

I'm not hard-working at all - I'm really lazy - but I wish (that) I weren't. It's only Tuesday today, but I wish it was Saturday.

Note that was and were are fully interchangeable with first, second and third person pronouns, singular and plural. Arguably, were sounds more formal than was. Note also that that is optional in all these that-clauses.

past regrets: wish + past perfect

To talk about wishes and regrets about past situations, we use wish with the past perfect, as in your example, Carlos, where you have use the shortened form of the past perfect:

I didn't ever receive the parcel from my granny, but I wish I had (received it). The parcel never arrived. I wish (that) it hadn't got lost in the post.

Note that wish with past tenses and with past perfect is used in a similar way to conditional sentences and that if only can sometimes be used as an alternative to wish:

I wish I had worked harder at university. If only I had worked harder at university, I would've got a better job.
I wish I had done more travelling in my youth. If I had travelled more widely, I am sure I would be more open-minded now.
I wish you could come with me to Cancun this summer.
If you could only come with me to Cancun, that would make it a perfect summer.

Pieanne · Answer

I think those action verbs can be used in the -ing form after "I wish":

-I wish I were flying (rater than I wish I flew)

-I wish I were moving ...

You would then be sorry for not being in the process of the process stated by the action verb.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you very much. Your opinions are very informative. "fly" and "move" can be used in the -ing form. But I believe the meaning changes somehow.

(a)I wish I could fly. (b) I wish I were flying.

(a) expresses an ability. (b) expresses an action, an on-going action.

(c) I wish I were moving. I think this expresses an action that will be happening or is happening.

(d) I wish I could move. (d) expresses a condition.

When action verbs are used in the -ing form in sentences containing wish, they may mean an action that the speaker wishes to be happening at the moment of speaking. When action verbs that can't be used in the -ing form are used in the -ing form, they represent actions that will soon be happening. I'd like to see more light shed on this. Thank you very much.

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