Why do we use were with wish?
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Why do we use were with wish?
Use “Were,” Not “Was,” for Wishful Thinking A wish is the desire or hope for something that cannot or probably will not happen. I wish I were the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. He wishes his grammar were better.
Was more vs were more?
As I said above, was and were are in the past tense, but they are used differently. Was is used in the first person singular (I) and the third person singular (he, she, it). Were is used in the second person singular and plural (you, your, yours) and first and third person plural (we, they).
How do you use wish grammar?
We use the verb wish or the phrase if only to talk about things which we want but which are not possible:
- I wish I could see you next week.
- I don’t like my work.
- I don’t like this place.
- I wish I was/were taller.
- I wish I had worked harder when I was at school.
- We should phone them in case they are lost.
What is past of watch?
watched
watches
| simple pastⓘ past simple or preterit | |
|---|---|
| I | watched |
| you | watched |
| he, she, it | watched |
| we | watched |
Was grammar a rule?
When to use were Whereas was is the singular past tense of to be, were is used for both the third person plural past tense (they and we) and the second person past tense (you). In the past indicative, were acts similar to was. “They were at the store,” you could say, for example.
Why do people say “I wish he were”?
The only one who said “I wish he were” was the correct answer also pointed out that it is the subjunctive form. Most native English speakers have no idea what subjunctive means. So basically they say “I wish he was” because “he” is singular, and that’s it. That’s how most people speak.
How do you use I Wish I were in a sentence?
I wish I were is actually the preference of grammar experts because you’re talking about something that hasn’t actually occurred. If you want to get a little more formal about it, the past indicative is used for ordinary objective statements or questions, and past subjunctive is used for imaginary or hypothetical statements or questions.
Should you use “I Wish I were” when writing a paper?
If you’re looking to write a hit song, it’s fine to use the less formal I wish I was. If you’re writing a paper for your English professor, on the other hand, stick with the grammarians, and use I wish I were. Make Your Writing Shine!