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iloveyou
Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Posts: 72
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 Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:37 am Post subject: I wish ~ (would/ simple past tense) |
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Hello
How are these sentences different?
1) I wish David would come to see me
2) I wish David came to see me
1) I wish it didn't snow much
2) I wish it woudn't snow much
Thanks
Yun |
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redset
Joined: 18 Mar 2006
Posts: 582
Location: England
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 11:06 am Post subject: |
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| We use would with wish to express regret or annoyance at something that isn't happening (and wouldn't when we're annoyed about something that is happening). It can also be used as a demand or a request ('I wish you wouldn't make so much noise!'), expecting a change instead of just expressing regret. |
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dragn
Joined: 17 Feb 2009
Posts: 450
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| Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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How are these sentences different?
1) I wish David would come to see me
2) I wish David came to see me |
Ditto to what redset wrote. Let me add one more chip to this pot:
I wish David would come to see me.
In accordance with what redset explained, this suggests that the speaker feels some manner of regret, annoyance, frustration, etc. that David has not come to visit. Note that from the standpoint of the grammar, it really doesn't matter how frequently or recently David has come to visit. The point is that David is not there at that moment and the speaker wishes David would visit now, or at least soon.
I wish David came to see me.
Now, it seems that David is not in the habit of coming to visit. I would tend to assume David has never come to visit. The speaker wishes that David would come to visit on a regular basis; that David would get in the habit of coming to visit. The reason is because the underlying concept is:
David comes to see me.
Present tense = habit; action performed on a regular basis. But that is not true in this situation, and the speaker wishes it were: the speaker wishes that David were in the habit of visiting.
Hope this makes sense. I don't want to comment on the second set because the second sentence sounds weird, and it's grindingly difficult to explain why. 
Greg |
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redset
Joined: 18 Mar 2006
Posts: 582
Location: England
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| Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't want to comment on the second set because the second sentence sounds weird, and it's grindingly difficult to explain why. :shocked: |
Yeah I had the same problem - I'd actually typed out a whole other post trying to cover that before I decided to start over. I had a bit of a think though, and I reckon I can explain it.
1) I wish it didn't snow much
When you use the past simple with wish it ends up with a present simple meaning - so this is about the fact that it snows often or regularly. The speaker is basically saying 'it snows a lot, that's just how it is, but I sure wish things were different.' It's basically expressing a dislike of something you can't change.
2) I wish it woudn't snow much
The difference here is the feeling that things could be different - and the fact that it snows a lot is down to the whims of the weather, or nature, or some controlling force that has decided to make it snow. So in this case you're expressing disapproval of some actions or decisions that another entity has made - even if you don't actually believe the weather has a consciousness and is out to make your day go badly  |
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