Wish, if only, I'd rather, it's time

  • B2 · Upper-intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

Wishes about now (I wish I had more time), regrets about the past (I wish we had bought one), wishes about other people (I wish you would stop…), and two structures with the past simple for the present: I'd rather you washed them, and it's time we bought one. From two roommates and a sink full of dishes to your own wish list.

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I wishIf onlyI'd ratherit's time

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2Reading: the dishesReading comprehension
  3. 3What do they mean?Grammar exercise
  4. 4Wish, if only, I'd rather, it's timeGrammar rule
  5. 5Now or the past?Grammar exercise
  6. 6Choose the right formGrammar exercise
  7. 7Say it with a wishGrammar exercise
  8. 8Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  9. 9Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  10. 10RoommatesSpeaking practice
  11. 11About youGrammar exercise
  12. 12Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: say it another wayGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: which is right?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: a wish list for your townDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. If you could have one wish, what would it be?
  2. Have you ever shared an apartment or a room? What was difficult about it?
  3. What small habits of other people annoy you the most?

Grammar rule

Wish, if only, I'd rather, it's time

StructureAboutExample
wish / if only + past simplenow: things you want to be differentI wish I owned a bike. If only it were Friday!
wish / if only + past perfectthe past: regretsI wish I had listened to my mother.
wish + could + verbabilities or chances you don't haveI wish I could ski.
wish + would + verbsomeone or something should change; it annoys youI wish the bus would come!
I'd rather + someone + past simplewhat you prefer another person to do (now or later)I'd rather you didn't call after ten.
it's time / it's high time + someone + past simpleit should happen now, and it's lateIt's high time we cleaned the garage.

Be careful

After wish, were is the careful form for every person (I wish I were, she wishes she were); was is normal in conversation. We don't say I wish I would… about ourselves: say I wish I could… or I wish I had… · For your own preference, I'd rather + base verb: I'd rather stay home. (no to) · For another person, American English also uses not + base verb: I'd rather you not call after ten.

hope is for things that are possible, with the present or will: I hope the rain stops soon. wish is for things that are impossible or unlikely: I wish it weren't raining.

A wish about the past matches a third conditional: I wish I had taken a map. → If I had taken a map, I wouldn't have gotten lost.

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