Madrasati @ Abdessalami On_Line

( but today is not Sunday )

( but I am )
( but she did not )

(but she did)

 There are two things you have to bear in mind

1. When the original sentence (reality) is affirmative, you must change

it to the negative form and vice-versa.
2. When the original sentence is in the present go back to the past and
if it is in the past go to past perfect (always one step back)

Examples

Reality: I am here.  wish: I wish I were not here.

Reality: I am not rich  wish: I wish I were rich.
Reality: He smokes  wish: If only he didn’t smoke.
Reality: It doesn’t work  wish: If only it worked.

Reality: I made mistakes.  wish: I wished I hadn’t made mistakes.

Reality: He didn’t come.  wish: If only he had come.
 Affirmative  Negative
Negative  Affirmative

am / is / are  was / were Can  could

Was / were  had been Will  would
have / has  had May  might
Must  had to

N.B. Never use "will" after "I wish" or "If only".

I didn't do my homework; because of that the teacher punished me.

I wished the teacher hadn't punished me.

I wished I had done my homework.

Last night I drank a lot of coffee; consequently I didn't sleep well.

If only I hadn't drunk a lot of coffee.

If only I had slept well.

He is lazy; that's why his friends despise him.

He wishes he were not lazy.

He wishes his friends didn't despise him

He had an accident because he was driving carelessly. 

If only he hadn't had an accident. 

If only he hadn't been driving carelessly.

The dog bit the boy because the latter threw stones at him. 

If only the boy hadn't thrown stones at the dog. 

If only the dog hadn't bitten the boy.

He was smoking like a chimney; as a result he died of lung cancer. 

They wished he hadn't died of lung cancer. 

They wished he hadn't been smoking like a chimney.

They slept early; that's why they didn't see the film. 

If only they hadn't slept early. 

If only they had seen the film.

He gets fatter and fatter because he can't stop eating junk food. 

If only he didn't get fatter and fatter. 

If only he could stop eating junk food.

We didn't invite her; so she didn't come. 

I wished we had invited her. 

I wished she had come.

I missed the first lecture as I arrived to the campus late. 

I wish I hadn't arrived to the campus late. 

I wish I hadn't missed the first lecture.

You aren’t here and I miss you so much.

I wish I didn't miss you. 

I wish you were here.

 "She doesn't speak English".

I wish

She spoke English

 "She can't use the phone".

If only

she could use the phone

 He didn't attend the meeting.

He wished

he had attended the meeting

 “We have been late for school".

If only

we hadn’t been late for school

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