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WISH CLAUSE/ IF ONLY: ƯỚC NHƯ, GIÁ NHƯ…

I. Generally speaking, when we want one situation to be different, we use "IF / IF ONLY/
WISH" ( Khi chúng ta muốn tình huống khác đi ( không như thực tế) thí ta dùng mệnh đề IF/
WISH & IF ONLY).
II . Structures ( CẤU TRÚC):
1. Future wish (MONG ƯỚC Ở TƯƠNG LAI):

S1 + WISH WOULD
S2+ + Vo to ..... => khả năng
COULD
IF ONLY WERE + V-ing.... => sự sắp xếp

Eg: a. It will-> tương lai be rain tomorrow.=> If only/ I wish it wouldn't rain tomorrow.
b. She is not coming-> sắp xếp cho tương lai with us. => She wishes she were coming
with us.
c. I want to be in Hanoi next week. If only/ I wish I could be in Hanoi next
week.
NOTES :
* When S1=S2( giống nhau), we often use could instead of would. (He wishes he
could / would go home. ) => Khi S1 = S2 ( tức S1 giống S2), thì tà dùng could
=> We only use could , wouldn’t after I wish/ We wish/ If only I / If only we …( chúng ta
chỉ đc dùng could và wouldn’t sau cụm I wish/ We wish/ If only I / If only we....)
Eg: I wish I could / would see him / If only I wouldn’t be there .

* Would is usually used when the speaker is complaining about something.

(would thường được dùng khi người nói diễn tả sự phàn nàn về 1 điều gì đó hoặc khi S1 # S2
trong câu khẳng định)
I wish she would help her mother with housework. (I # she, phàn nàn là “ thực tế cô
ấy chả chịu giupd mẹ)
2. Present wish(mong ước ở hiện tại): tương đương vs câu đk l2

S1 +WISH V cột 2/ V-ed

+ S2 + (BE  were)
IF ONLY

Eg: a. I'm poor now. --> I wish I were rich / a millionaire.

b. She doesn't have enough time to do homework. --> She wishes she had enough time
to do homework.

3. Past wish (mong ước ở quá khứ): tương đương vs câu đk loại 3

S1+ WISH PAST PERFECT..... (quá khứ hoàn thành) => hối tiếc
S2+
IF ONLY COULD HAVE + Vpp(-ed/ V cột 3).... => khả năng
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Eg: a. We were not together.  I wish(ed) we could have been together.

b. He regrets asking Jason for money.  He wishes he hadn't asked Jason for money.
4.OTHER STRUCTURE ( các cấu trúc khác)

S + WISH TO V … = hope to V

S + WISH Sb STH( N/ NP)

Eg:
- I wish to live in Paris now . = I hope to live in Paris now
I wish you a happy new year.
III. EXERCISES
1. Gap filling ( see WISH CLAUSE EXERCISE )
2. Multiple choice questions(chọn đáp án đúng): (id)
3. Sentence transformation ( viết lại câu): (id)
3a. Words, phrases or clauses such as want to/ would love to/ would like to/ be sorry/ be
afraid/ it’s pity/ regret… must be omitted .
- They want Jason to be here now => They wish Jason were here now.
- I’m afraid I can’t go to your party. => I wish I could go to your party.
3b. reget/ forget/ remember + V-ing / be sorry for + V-ing / should (not) have V3 / need
have v3/ must have V3 …=> usually describe a past action / state => PAST WISH
- He regrets not saying good-bye to Jane. => He wishes he had said good-bye to Jane.
- I think you should have told him about that matter. => I wish you had told him about that
matter.
3c. The context only helps us to recognize the tense of such phrases as want to be/ would
love to/ would like to …
- He wants to be a teacher when he grows up. (future) => He wishes he could be a teacher.
- He wants you to be here right now. => He wishes you were here right now.
3d. Equivalent tenses in conditionals/ it’s (high) time … / would rather …
- It’s high time Mary went to bed. => Mary’s mother wishes she went to bed.
3e. Present perfect => past wish
- She hasn’t visited London yet. => She wishes she had visited London.
IV. EXERCISES
I. would or could?
a. I wish Andreas would help me sometimes.
b. If only I could have a holiday!
c. Gavin wished he could visit his uncle in Paris.
d. I wish I could win the prize.
e. I wish they would top shouting.
f. Judith wishes she could go to London.
g. If only the baby ______ be quiet for a moment. h. If only you get the job you want!
II. Give the correct form of the verbs in parentheses:
1. She wishes her father (be) were here now to help her.
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2. I wish you (not give) hadn’t given them my phone number yesterday.
3. If only I (can) could take the trip to Hanoi next summer.
4. If only I (have) had more time to do this job.
5. I wish someday I (be) would be able to marry her.
6. He acts as if he (know) knew English perfectly.{ S1+V(HTĐ) + as if +S2+V(QKĐ) }
7. It’s time for you (go) to go to work.( It’s time + <for sb> + to + V-inf)
8. I would rather you (do not) it.
9. I felt as though I (already meet) her.
10.You’d rather (pay) paid me now.
11.He’d rather (stay) stay at home than (go) go out.
III. Write sentences with I wish... / If only…
1 I can’t give up smoking. (But I’d like to).
I wish I ................................................................................................................
2 I haven’t any cigarettes (and I need one).
If only…...............................................................................................................
3 George isn’t here (and I need him).
I wish George .......................................................................................................
4 It’s cold (and I hate cold weather).
If only…................................................................................................................
5 I live in London (and I hate London).
I ............................................................................................................................
6 Tina can’t come to the party (she’s your best friend).
If only…I..............................................................................................................
7 I have to work tomorrow (but I’d like to stay in bed) .........................................
..............................................................................................................................
8 I don’t know anything about cars (and my car has just broken down).
..............................................................................................................................
9 I’m not lying on a beautiful sunny beach (and that’s a pity).
If only…................................................................................................................
10 There aren’t any river in my hometown.
If only…
IV. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one. Use
between two and five words, including the words given. Do not change the given words.
1. I haven’t got much money. => I wish I …………………………………………………
2. She’d like to be far away, on a desert island. She wishes …………………………………..
3. Francisco lives a long way away. => I wish Francisco ……………………………………..
4. I have to practice the piano every day. If …………………… to practice the piano every
day!
5. I’m not very good at maths. (BETTER). => I wish
……………………………………………. Maths.
6. Daniel doesn’t live in the center of town. (LIVE) => Daniel
wishes………………………..the suburrbs.
7. I don’t know how to repair the car. (KNEW)
=>If ………………………………………to repair the car!
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8. It rains here every day. (RAIN)

=> If only ……………………………………….here every day!
9. Nicholas is sorry he smashed up his car. SMASHED
=> Nicholas ………………………………………………………… up his car .
10. “ Why did I leave my job?”, she asked sadly. LEFT
=> She wishes she …………………..her job.
11. I’d love to own a horse. HAD
=> I ………………………………………………………..a horse.
12. Won’t the snow ever stop?
=> If only ……………………………………………………..stop!
13. Unfortunatly, I am not lying on a beach in the Caribbean.
I wish I …………………………………………… on a beach in the Caribbean!
14. I shouldn’t have spent so much money. HADN ‘T
=> If only …………………………… so much money!
15. He should stop talking so much. HE
=> I wish ………………………………………………..so much!
16. I don’t think I’ll be able to go to the concert.
If olly…………………………………………….concert!
17. I’d would be so happy if Pablo phoned me tonight.
If ………………………………………….tonight!
18. It’s a pity we aren’t neighbours.
=> I …………………………………………………………….neighbours!
19. I regret speaking to him so impolitely yesterday.
=> I wished………………………………………
20. I want the baby to stop crying.
I wish. …………………………………………………………………!
21. He is sorry for not having invited Molly to his party.
He wished……………………………………….!
22. She wished she didn’t live in such a small house.
=> She …………………………………………… .
23. I wish that Mark knew about it. Mark
……………………………………………………………………… .
24. We have no idea what to do
> I wish ……………………………………………………………………….. .
25. He should have stopped smoking.
If only……………………………………………………………….. .
26. What a pity, he ‘s so boring.
I wish ……………………………………………………………………… .
27. It’s a mistake of mine, accepting that job.
I wish …………………………………………………………. .
28. How unfortunate that they all heard about it.
She wished………………………………………………..!
29. It would be useful to have shares in the company, but I haven’t any.
=> I wish…………………………………………………………………………
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30. I’d like him to contribute his opinion more tactfully.

I wish…………………………………………………..!
31. You needn ‘t have told her about that.
I wish ………………………………………………………………..!
32. I should have gone to the conference.
I wish…………………………………………………………………!
33. Is it ever going to stop snowing?
I wish ……………………………………………………………………….!
V. Multiple choice questions ( extracted from EGE)
1. She wishes her father ________ here now to help her.
A. has been B. is being C. is D. were
2. Julie goes to bed late. her mother wishes _______.
A. she went to bed early B. she went to bed late
C. she doesn’t go to bed late D. she goes to bed early
3. My father won’t lend me his car. I wish _______ .
A. he lent me his car B. he didn’t lend me his car
C. he would lend me his car D. he wouldn’t lend me his car
4. We wish we _____ a large house, but we can’t afford it now.
A. have B. had C. can have D. will have
5. I’m sorry I haven’t got any money on me. I wish I _______.
A. I have got no money on me B. I have some money on me
C. I had got no money on me D. I had some money on me
6. It’s a pity she didn’t take her doctor’s advice. She wishes ________.
A. she took her doctor’s advice B. she had taken her doctor’s advice
C. she takes her doctor’s advice D. she would take her doctor’s advice
7. My father is not free today. I wish ______.
A. my father is free today B. my father won’t be busy today
C. my father would be free today D. my father were free today
8. I’m afraid our team will lose the game today. I wish _______.
A. our team would win the game today B. our team won the game today
C. our team didn’t lose the game today D. our team had won the game today
9. My friends didn’t take part in the game. I wish _______.
A. My friends took part in the game B. My friends would take part in the game
C. My friends did take part in the gameD. My friends had taken part in the game
10.She wishes he ______ his letter of application earlier.
A. would write B. had written C. wrote D. would wrote
11.I wish you ______ make so much noise. I’m trying to work.
A. shouldn’t B. needn’t C. couldn’t D. wouldn’t
12.It wasn’t fine. I wish _______.
A. it was fine B. it would fine C. it will fine D. it had been fine
13.She wishes she ______ to told you the bad news yesterday.
A. is not asked B. was not asked C. were not asked D. had not been asked
14.My uncle wishes he ______ time when he was young.
A. wouldn’t waste B. didn’t waste C. hasn’t waste D. hadn’t waste
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15.-Minh: you speak English very well.

–Huong: Yes but I wish I _____ other languages well, too.
A. can speak B. am speaking C. spoke D. speak
16.I wish we ____ shopping here together.
A. would go B. will go C. can go D. go
17.I’m not able to visit London. I wish I ______go there.
A. can B. will C. may D. could
18.I wish that the weather _______ not so warm.
A. be B. was C. are D. were
19.I’m sorry I missed your birthday party. I wish I _____ your birthday party.
A. wouldn’t miss B. didn’t miss C. hadn’t missed D. had missed
20.I wish you ______ me a new one instead of having it _____ as you did.
A. gave/ to repair B. would give/ to repair
C. had given/ to repaired D. had given/ to be repair
21.I wish I ___ there for my holiday last year. I didn’t enjoy it.
A. wouldn’t go B. didn’t go C. hadn’t gone D. would rather go
22.I wish I _____ English when I was at high school.
A. study B. studied C. have studied D. had studied
23.I wish I _____ a computer.
A. use B. will use C. can use D. could use
24.They will drink wine at the party. I wish they _____.
A. can not B. would not C. had not D. should not
25.I wish I _____ a trip to London last year.
A. had taken B. took C. will take D. take
26.I don’t know many people. I wish I _____ more people.
A. know B. knew C. have known D. should know
27.I have to work tomorrow. I wish I ______ in bed.
A. would stay B. should stay C. stay D. stayed
28.I wish _____ so much.
A. I haven’t eaten B. I hadn’t eaten C. I do not eat D. I won’t eat
29.I wish I ____ applied for the job.
A. will B. should C. had D. have
30.I wish you ______ something instead of just sitting and doing nothing.
A. do B. should C. will do D. would do
31.I wish Sarah ______ here now.
A. is B. were C. would be D. will be
32.______ a car to drive now.
A. if I had B. only I had C. if only I had D. better I had
33.What are you going to do next year? – I wish I _____ the answer to that question.
A. knew B. had known C. would know D. will know
34.She wishes she _____ a doctor in the future.
A. is B. were C. will be D. would be
35.I wish I _____ your wedding, but I was in Paris.
A. could attend B. would attend C. attended D. could have attended
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VI. Find out the mistakes

36.Peter wished that he has gone to the party last week.
37.I sometimes wish that I will have another car.
38.I wish my house were so large as John’s.
39.I wishes you had been at the meeting yesterday.
40.She wishes he will stop interrupting her whenever she speaks.
41.I wish I didn’t say that to him yesterday.
42.I wish I wasn’t absent from class yesterday.
43.I wish my sister will go camping with me tomorrow.
44.She wishes that we didn’t send her the candy yesterday because she’s on a diet.
45.I have a lot of work to do. I wish I have more time.
46.She wishes she could speak English as fluent as her sister.
47.I wish I could make a 20000 miles-undersea trip in a nuclear submarine.
48.I really wish we can make a trip around the world.
49.He got bad marks. He wishes he reviewed his lesson carefully.
50.I wish I didn’t speak to him so severely yesterday.