1. WE OFTEN WISH FOR THINGS THAT ARE
NOT REAL OR TRUE IN THE PRESENT.
Page 438, 10.5: Wishes

2. USE THE PAST SUBJUNCTIVE TO WISH
FOR SOMETHING IN THE PRESENT.
YOUR BOOK CALLS THIS A “PAST TENSE,”
BUT THAT IS NOT REALLY ACCURATE, AND
IS A CONFUSING WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT.

3. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SAME PAST
SUBJUNCTIVE THAT YOU USE IN TYPE 2
(UNREAL) CONDITIONAL STATEMENTS.

4. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SAME PAST
SUBJUNCTIVE THAT YOU USE IN TYPE 2
(UNREAL) CONDITIONAL STATEMENTS.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE
FOR ALL VERBS EXCEPT THE VERB TO BE.

5. PRESENT
Reality Wish
I don’t have a dog. I wish (that) I had a
dog.
We have to get old. I wish (that) we
didn’t have to get
old.
I can’t live 100
years.
I wish that I could
live 150 years.

6. PRESENT
Reality Wish
I am not young. I wish (that) I were
younger.
It is not Sunday. I wish (that) it were
Sunday.
My best friend is not here
in the U.S.
I wish (that) my best
friend were here in the
U.S.

7. REMEMBER THAT FOR THE VERB TO BE, THE
PAST SUBJUNCTIVE IS:
I WERE/WE WERE
YOU WERE
HE WERE/SHE WERE/IT WERE/THEY WERE

8. ON PAGE 439, WE SEE HOW TO TALK
ABOUT WISHES THAT SOMETHING
HAPPENED DIFFERENTLY IN THE PAST:

9. IN THESE SENTENCES, WE USE THE PAST
PERFECT:

10. I WISH I HAD KNOWN MY
GRANDPARENTS.
(IN REALITY, I DIDN’T KNOW THEM.)

11. MY AUNT WISHES SHE HAD HAD KIDS
WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG.
(IN REALITY, SHE DIDN’T HAVE KIDS
WHEN SHE WAS YOUNG.

12. MY DOG DIED YEARS AGO. I WISH I
COULD HAVE CLONED HER.
(IN REALITY, I COULDN’T DO THAT.)