Dưới đây là các câu viết lại với cấu trúc “wish” đúng ngữ pháp và ý nghĩa, theo thì quá khứ đơn (cho hiện tại không có thật) hoặc quá khứ tương lai (will → would):
1. She is too short to take part in the Beauty Contest.
→ She wishes she were tall enough to take part in the Beauty Contest.
2. The shirt is too big for me.
→ I wish the shirt were smaller.
3. You put too much salt in my soup.
→ I wish you didn't put so much salt in my soup.
4. We can't start our car now.
→ We wish we could start our car now.
5. The company will dismiss me next month.
→ I wish the company wouldn’t dismiss me next month.
6. Our teacher will give us too many assignments.
→ We wish our teacher wouldn’t give us too many assignments.
7. She is not as tall as Miss World.
→ She wishes she were as tall as Miss World.
8. They don't have a villa in the seaside resort.
→ They wish they had a villa in the seaside resort.
9. It's a pity that it never snows in my city.
→ I wish it snowed in my city.
10. We can't surf the web in our village.
→ We wish we could surf the web in our village.
- Lưu ý ngữ pháp:
+ Sau "wish", nếu nói về hiện tại, dùng thì quá khứ đơn.
+ Nếu nói về điều sẽ xảy ra trong tương lai, dùng would/could + V.
+ "Were" dùng cho mọi ngôi khi đi với "wish" (thay vì "was").