Wishes (2)

B. can say ‘I wish you luck/ every success/ a happy birthday’ etc. 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))
B1. I wish you a pleasant stay here. vs. I hope you have a pleasant stay here. (not I wish you have)
B2. 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.
B3. to say that ‘we regret something’ in the past, we use ‘wish + had ~‘ (had known/ had said) etc.
B4. 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.
B5. can say ‘I wish (somebody) would (do something)’ We often use ‘I wish ~ would’ to complain about a situation.
B6. use ‘I wish ~ wouldn’t ~ to’ complain about things that people do repeatedly.
B7. use ‘I wish ~ would ~’ for actions and changes, not situations

More information with examples…