C. We use past tense forms to talk about wishes: We use past tense modals ‘would’ and ‘could’ to talk about ‘wishes’ for the future. (e.g. I don’t like my work. I wish I could get a better job.)
a. use past tense forms to talk about ‘wishes’ for the present. (e.g. I don’t like this place. I wish I lived in somewhere more interesting.)
b. use the past perfect to talk about ‘wishes’ for the past. (e.g. I wish I had worked harder when I was at school.)
C1. can say ‘I wish you luck/ every success/ a happy birthday’ etc. (e.g. I wish you every success in the future.), also can say ‘wish somebody something’ (luck/ a happy birthday etc.). But you cannot ‘wish that something happens’. We use ‘hope’ in this situation. (e.g. I hope you get this letter before you go away. (not I wish you get))
a. I wish you a pleasant stay here. vs. I hope you have a pleasant stay here. (not I wish you have)
b. also use to say that ‘we regret something’, that something is not as we would like it. When we use ‘wish’ in this way, we use the past (knew/ lived etc.), but the meaning is present. (e.g. I wish I knew what to do about the problem. (I don’t know and I regret this))
c. to say that ‘we regret something’ in the past, we use ‘wish + had ~‘ (had known/ had said) etc. (e.g. I wish I’d known about the party. I would have gone if I’d known. (I didn’t know))
d. I wish I could (do something) = I regret that I cannot do it. (e.g. I’m sorry I have to go. I wish I could stay longer. (but I can’t)) I wish I could have (done something) = I regret that I could not do it. (e.g. I hear the party was great. I wish I could have gone. (but I couldn’t go))
e. can say ‘I wish (somebody) would (do something)’ We often use ‘I wish ~ would’ to complain about a situation. (e.g. The phone has been ringing for five minutes. I wish somebody would answer it.)
f. use ‘I wish ~ wouldn’t ~ to’ complain about things that people do repeatedly. (e.g. I wish you wouldn’t keep interrupting me.)
g. use ‘I wish ~ would ~’ for actions and changes, not situations. (e.g. I wish Sarah would come. (= I want her to come) but I wish Sarah was (or were) here now. (not I wish Sarah would be))