Everyone has wishes and regrets. You want a bigger apartment, you are sorry you said something rude, you hope your noisy neighbor will stop the drilling. English expresses these feelings with 'wish' and 'if only', and they follow a special tense rule that surprises learners: you use PAST forms to talk about the present. If you say 'I wish I know the answer', it sounds clearly wrong; 'I wish I knew the answer' is what everyone says.

There is also a small, formal pattern called the subjunctive, used after words like 'suggest', 'insist', and 'important': 'It is important that he be on time.' You will meet it in emails, rules, and announcements at work. Learning these patterns lets you share feelings and make formal requests correctly — two very different but very useful skills.

Start with wishes about the PRESENT. The form is: wish + past simple. 'I wish I had a car' means I do not have a car now, and I am not happy about it. The past tense does not mean past time; it is a signal for unreal meaning, exactly like the second conditional. With 'be', careful English uses 'were' for every person: 'I wish it were Friday.' 'She wishes she were taller.'

Next, wishes about the PAST — regrets. The form is: wish + past perfect. 'I wish I had brought an umbrella' means I did not bring one, and now I am wet. 'He wishes he hadn't sold his bike' means he sold it and regrets it. One step back in time in the real world means one step back in tense after 'wish'.

For annoying situations and things you want to change, especially other people's behavior, use wish + would: 'I wish the neighbors would turn down the music.' 'I wish it would stop raining.' This pattern is for actions and changes, usually outside your control. Do not use 'would' about yourself in this pattern — for your own situation, use the past simple instead: 'I wish I had more free time', not 'I wish I would have more free time.'

'If only' works exactly like 'wish' but sounds stronger and more emotional: 'If only I knew her number!' (present), 'If only we had left earlier!' (past regret), 'If only this headache would go away!' (annoying situation). You can use it alone, without a second clause, as a small cry of feeling.

Finally, the subjunctive. After verbs like 'suggest', 'recommend', 'insist', 'demand', and after phrases like 'it is important that' or 'it is essential that', formal English uses the base form of the verb for every subject: 'The doctor suggested that she rest.' 'They insisted that he be present.' No -s, no 'is', no past tense — just the bare verb. The negative puts 'not' before the verb: 'It is vital that we not miss the deadline.' In everyday speech people often say 'should rest' or 'should be' instead, which is also fine.

1. 1. I wish I had a bigger kitchen.

   Wish about the present: past simple 'had' means I do not have one now.

2. 2. She wishes she spoke Italian for her trip next month.

   A present ability she lacks, so 'spoke', not 'speaks'.

3. 3. I wish it were warmer today.

   Use 'were' after wish for all persons, even with 'it'.

4. 4. Don't you wish we lived closer to the sea?

   A wish inside a question: the past simple 'lived' stays.

5. 5. He wishes he didn't have to work this weekend.

   A negative present wish uses 'didn't have', not 'doesn't have'.

6. 6. I wish I had checked the prices before I paid.

   Wish about the past: past perfect 'had checked' shows regret.

7. 7. We wish we hadn't ordered so much food.

   A past regret in the negative: 'hadn't ordered'.

8. 8. She wishes she had studied medicine when she was young.

   One step back in tense: the past choice needs past perfect.

9. 9. I wish my flatmate would wash his dishes.

   Wish + would complains about another person's repeated behavior.

10. 10. If only the rain would stop before the match!

    'If only' + would for a situation you want to change soon.

11. 11. If only I had listened to your advice about that phone.

    'If only' + past perfect makes a past regret sound stronger.

12. 12. The doctor recommended that he take the medicine with food.

    Subjunctive: base form 'take' after 'recommended that', no -s.

13. 13. It is essential that every visitor sign in at the desk.

    'Sign', not 'signs' — the base form follows 'essential that'.

14. 14. They insisted that the meeting not start without her.

    The negative subjunctive puts 'not' directly before the verb.

15. 15. Her boss suggested that she be ready by nine.

    'Be' stays as the bare form for all subjects in the subjunctive.

The most common mistake is using the present tense after 'wish' for a present wish: 'I wish I know the answer.' English needs one step back in tense, so the correct sentence is 'I wish I knew the answer.' The past form is the unreal signal. The same shift happens with all verbs: 'I wish I am taller' must become 'I wish I were taller.'

A second mistake is using the wrong tense for past regrets. Learners say 'I wish I didn't say that yesterday' when they mean a finished past action. Because the regret is about the past, you need the past perfect: 'I wish I hadn't said that yesterday.' Quick test: if the wish is about now, go back one step (present becomes past); if it is about the past, go back two steps (past becomes past perfect).

A third mistake is adding -s or 'is' in the subjunctive: 'It is important that he is on time' or 'She suggested that he takes the early train.' In the formal pattern, the verb stays in its base form: 'It is important that he be on time.' 'She suggested that he take the early train.' If this feels strange, remember that 'should' is a safe everyday substitute: 'She suggested that he should take the early train.'

• Wish about now: go one tense back — 'I wish I knew.'
• Wish about the past: use past perfect — 'I wish I had known.'
• Annoyed at someone or something? Use 'wish + would'.
• Never use 'wish + would' about yourself.
• 'If only' is a stronger, more emotional 'wish'.
• After 'suggest/insist/important that', use the base verb: 'that he be on time.'