We have already talked about using 'wish + past simple' to talk about things that we don't like in the present.
- I wish that I had more money.
We can also use 'wish + would + infinitive' to talk about things that we don't like in the present. We use 'would' when we are talking about someone else's behaviour that we want to change. It's often blaming the other person a little bit for doing something we don't like.
- I wish that he would stop smoking!
- I wish that the children wouldn't watch so much TV.
- I wish that she wouldn't complain all the time.
Often, it's fine to use either 'wish + past simple' or 'wish + would'. 'Wish + past simple' doesn't give us the feeling of blame – it's just a fact.
- I wish that she didn't complain all the time.
Sometimes, we imagine that something like our car or our computer or the weather has feelings and behaviour that we'd like to change!
- I wish that it wouldn't rain so much!
- I wish that my car would start easily.
- I wish that my computer wouldn't crash so often.
Let's review!
Make sentences with 'I wish' and 'would'. For example: he eats so much chocolate => I wish that he wouldn't eat so much chocolate.
1. My neighbours are so noisy.
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2. She doesn't load the dishwasher.
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3. It snows every day.
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- I wish that my neighbours wouldn't be so noisy.
- I wish that she would load the dishwasher.
- I wish that it wouldn't snow every day.