WISH

WOULD RATHER
HAD BETTER
IF ONLY
 A desire to change a present situation, dissatisfaction about a
present situation
Subj+WISH+2nd subj+past simple/past
continuous/could
 Vorrei che lui fosse qui con me
 I wish he were/was here with me
 Vorrei avere più tempo
 I wish I had more time
 Vorrei che non stesse piovendo
 I wish it weren’t raining
 Vorrei poterle parlare
 I wish I could speak to her
A wish to change someone’s behaviour in the
future
Subj+WISH+2nd subj+ WOULD

 Vorrei che mio marito non uscisse questa sera

 I wish my husband wouldn’t go out tonight

 Vorrei che diventasse più caldo

 I wish it would get warmer
 Watch out!
In the structure wish…would...
the subject of wish cannot be the same of would

 Vorrei che loro smettessero di parlare

 I wish they would stop talking

The structure is used to refer to actions or beaviour not for states.

 Vorrei che avesse una macchina

 I wish he had a car not I wish he would have a car
To express an impossible wish to change a situation of the past, a regret
Subj+WISH+2nd subj+ past perfect/could have +
past participle

 Vorrei che lui fosse stato qui

 I wish he had been here
 Vorrei che non fosse piovuto così spesso
 I wish it hadn’t rained so often
 Vorrei averle potuto parlare
 I wish I could have spoken to her
If only
 If only

It can be used instead of wish:

 If only it didn’t rain so often

 If only they would stop talking
Other uses of wish
 Desidero ringraziarti
 I wish to thank you
 Desideravo vederti
 I wished to see you
 Non gradisco che escano da questa stanza
 I don’t wish them to leave this room
 Vi auguriamo un buon Natale
 We wish you a merry Christmas
Would rather = would prefer
 Same subject
REFERRED TO THE PRESENT OR FUTURE

 Preferirei fare la spesa oggi che farla domani

 I would rather do the shopping today than do it
tomorrow

REFERRED TO THE PAST

 Preferirei essere andato in Spagna che in Francia
 I would rather have gone to Spain than to France
 Different subject
REFERRED TO THE PRESENT OR FUTURE

 Preferirei che tu facessi la spesa oggi

 I would rather you did the shopping today than you
did it tomorrow

REFERRED TO THE PAST

 Preferirei che fossimo andati in Spagna che in Francia
 I would rather we had gone to Spain than to France
 Differences between would rather and
would prefer

 I’d rather live in a large city than live in a small village

 I would prefer to live in a large city rather than in a small
village

To express a preference in general use prefer

 I prefer playing tennis to playing football
 I prefer to play tennis rather than play football
Had better
To give advice

 Faresti meglio a metterti il cappotto

 You’d better put on your coat
 Lei farebbe meglio a non fidarsi di lui
 She’d better not trust him
 practice
 If you haven’t started studying for the exams yet, you ought to start soon
 You__________________________________for
HAD BETTER START STUDYING the exams soon if you haven’t already HAD
 The guide asked them if they’d prefer to go to the beach or the market
 WOULD YOU RATHER GO
They guide said:’_________________________to the beach or the market? RATHER
 Don’t you regret turning down his invitation?
 Do ________________________________accepted his invitation? WISH
YOU WISH YOU HAD
 I’d love to be lying on the beach right now
 I__________________________on the beach right now WISH
I WISH I WERE LYING
 I would prefer to go to the cinema rather than watch TV
 I_________________________________cinema
WOULD RATHER GO TO THE than watch TV RATHER
 I like rock music more than classical music
 I____________________________________________classical music TO
PREFER ROCK MUSIC TO
 If I were you I would see a doctor
 You__________________________________________a
HAD BETTER SEE doctor BETTER