What "I wish" and "if only" actually do

When you're unhappy about something in the present — a situation you can't change right now, or something that annoys you — English gives you a special structure: "I wish" or "if only" + past simple. The past tense here doesn't refer to the past. It creates a distance between reality and what you want, which is exactly what a complaint or regret feels like.

Think of it this way: the real situation is one thing, and you're imagining the opposite.

✅ I wish I spoke better French. (Right now, my French isn't good enough.) ❌ I wish I speak better French.

The present tense after "wish" is the single most common mistake at this level. Your brain tells you "I'm talking about now, so I need a present verb." Fight that instinct. The grammar demands the past simple precisely because you're wishing for something unreal.

"If only" works the same way but sounds more emotional, more dramatic:

✅ If only I had a car — I'm so tired of the bus. ❌ If only I have a car.

Both sentences express the same regret. "If only" just turns up the volume.

The special case of "was" vs. "were"

With the verb be, you'll see two forms after "wish" and "if only":

If only she were here right now. I wish it were Friday.

In formal or traditional grammar, "were" is used for all subjects — I, he, she, it — because this is the subjunctive. In everyday speech, many native speakers say "I wish it was Friday," and that's widely accepted. However, in exams and formal writing, "were" is the safer choice. You should recognise both and be ready to use "were" when accuracy matters.

Complaints about other people

One of the most useful — and satisfying — applications is complaining about habits that bother you. Here, you can use "wish" / "if only" + would + infinitive when you're talking about someone else's behaviour:

✅ I wish my neighbours would stop playing loud music at midnight. ✅ If only he would listen to me for once.

This structure carries real frustration. It means: "They could change this, but they won't."

Important restriction: you generally don't use "wish + would" about yourself. You can't wish that you yourself would do something differently, because you control your own actions.

❌ I wish I would be taller. ✅ I wish I were taller.

Being tall isn't a behaviour you can change, so "would" makes no sense here. Use the past simple instead.

The mistake that costs marks

Here's the error pattern I see over and over:

A student wants to say they're unhappy about a current situation and writes:

❌ I wish I can drive. ❌ I wish I don't have to work tomorrow.

Both use present-tense forms. The corrected versions shift to the past:

✅ I wish I could drive. ✅ I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow.

The fix is mechanical once you see it: take whatever verb describes reality, move it one step into the past, and place it after "wish" or "if only." Can becomes could. Don't have becomes didn't have. Am becomes were (or was). The meaning stays firmly in the present — only the grammar travels back.

One last thing to keep in your pocket: "I wish" for the present is not the same as "I hope." "I hope it stops raining" looks forward with some optimism. "I wish it would stop raining" looks at what's happening now and expresses frustration. If there's a realistic chance something will happen, use hope. If you're staring out the window at the rain and feeling annoyed, use wish.