Unit 7: Function: Expressing Hopes & Wishes

Distinguish between 'hope' (expressing desire for a realistic or possible outcome) and 'wish' (expressing desire for an unreal, unlikely, or impossible situation). Understanding this distinction is the foundation of the entire unit.

Identify and correctly use the three grammatical structures for expressing hope: (a) hope + Present Simple, (b) hope + will + base verb, and (c) hope + to + infinitive.

Master the three core wish patterns: (a) wish + Past Simple for unreal present situations, (b) wish + Past Perfect for regrets about the past, and (c) wish + would + base verb to express annoyance or complaints about current behaviour.

Use 'If only' as a more emphatic alternative to 'I wish', applying the exact same tense shift rules. Recognise the emotional intensity that 'If only' adds in comparison to the standard 'I wish' form.

Transform sentences that describe real situations (facts, habits, past events) into grammatically accurate expressions of hope or wish, selecting the correct structure based on the meaning and time reference of the original sentence.

Identify and correct the most frequent grammatical errors in this function: using 'will' after 'wish' (*I wish I will pass), using 'would be' for state verbs (*I wish I would be), and applying the wrong tense when expressing past regrets.

Apply all structures accurately in the Language section of the Regional Examination, including fill-in-the-blank, error correction, and sentence transformation tasks typical of the 1st Year Baccalaureate regional exam format.

A tense used to describe a completed action or a state in the past. Formed by adding -ed to regular verbs (e.g., walk → walked, live → lived) or by using the irregular past form (e.g., go → went, see → saw, have → had, be → was/were). This tense is the backbone of the 'wish + Past Simple' structure used to talk about present unreal situations.

A tense formed with had + past participle (e.g., had gone, had seen, had been). It refers to an action completed before a specific point in the past. It is the tense used after 'wish' when expressing regret about something that happened — or did not happen — in the past.

Will expresses a real future possibility or expectation (e.g., 'I hope it will rain.'). Would expresses a hypothetical, unreal, or desired situation — it is used after 'wish' when the speaker wants someone else to change their behaviour (e.g., 'I wish you would stop shouting.').

A real situation is possible or likely (e.g., second conditional: 'If I study hard, I will pass.'). An unreal situation is imaginary or contrary to fact (e.g., 'If I were rich, I would travel.'). The concept of unreality is the same conceptual basis used with 'wish' structures.

In formal and standard grammar, were is used for ALL persons after 'wish' (not just 'you/we/they'): 'I wish I were taller.', 'She wishes she were here.', 'He wishes it were Saturday.' This special use of 'were' signals an unreal or imaginary situation.