شرح قاعدة I wish / If only اعداد مستر عصام الجاويش

[مستر/ عصام الجاويش]

اقدم لك عزيزى الطالب قاعده I wish بطريقه مبسطه

[aymaan noor]

[مستر/ عصام الجاويش]

Thank you, Mr. Ayman

[هشام الشبكى]

شرح بسيط وجميل من استاذ رائع ولكن بالنسبة للمستقبل مفيش قاعدة للكلام اللى حضرتك بتقولة واللى معظم المدرسين عمالة بتقولة راجع حضرتك موقع longman بخصوص القاعدة
n the "Excel in English" series that was taught for secondary students before the "Hello" series, the author insisted that "if only" and "I wish" are followed by "could" with pronouns "I and we" if it is a future wish and "would" with other pronouns and nouns. In Sec 3 Unit 10, I notice that you don't use "would" with pronouns "he, she, it, you, they" and nouns. Is it wrong to use "would" instead of "could" in WB page 64, Ex. 1, items c and f, and in Ex 2 items c and e? Please give me examples to clarify when to use "could" and when to use "would".


Sender P.I.T.A.
Position Other
I have never heard any such rule. Textbooks often simplify the grammar for students and present something as a "rule" when it is, in fact, just the most usual pattern.

In this structure, would expresses volition (the power to choose or decide). We are unlikely to talk about our own volition and more likely to talk about our ability (could). But I can certainy talk about someone else's volition or ability.

Michael Swan points out that if only … would or wish … would express some sort of annoyance with a situation or action and a desire that there be a change. My guess is that the "rule" expressed in Excel is just a pattern. We are less likely to express annoyance about something we ourselves are doing, and therefore less likely to use would with first person pronouns. But it is certainly grammatical to do so, and it is certainly grammatical to use both could and would with other pronouns.

Let's look at the specific items now.

If only they could speak French. (I wish they could speak French. This could, in some contexts, mean that they wish they could speak French.)
If only they would speak French. (They are able to but they don't and I am annoyed by this. It would be highly unlikely that they would say this about themselves.)

He'd like to be able to play the piano. (He wishes he could play the piano. He wishes he had the ability to play.)

In contrast, He wishes he would play the piano does not make much sense if both pronouns refer to the same person. Remember that we use would here to express annoyance. But we could say

I wish he would play the piano. (I know that he knows how to play. I want him to play. I am perhaps a bit annoyed that he is not playing the piano now.)
John wishes Tom would play the piano. (John knows that Tom knows how to play. John wants Tom to play. John is perhaps a bit annoyed that Tom is not playing the piano now.)
Tom wishes I would play the piano. (Tom knows that I know how to play and he wants me to do it. He is perhaps annoyed that I am not doing it.)

Various combinations with could are also possible. They all express someone's wish that someone had the ability to play the piano — either that the person knew how to play, or that a piano were available now. They do not express annoyance as the sentences with would do.

I wish I could play the piano.
He wishes I could play the piano.
I wish he could play the piano.

Please see here and here also.

ed. 25/11/12

[هشام الشبكى]

انا كنت بقول زى ما حضرتك بتقول ولكن مع البحث عرفت ودة رد تانى من موقع دار النشر من الاخر للتعبير عن التمنى فى المستقبل نستخدم could مع جميع الضمائر اما would تاتى للتعبير عن الضيق والازعاج لان الشخص يستطيع فعل الشى ولكن لا يريد فعلة مما يشعر المتحدث بالضيق والازعاج

ishes in the future: I wish (I /we) could + inf. I wish (he / she / you / they) would + inf. But in the textbook and workbook it doesn't go like that. They use "would" with "I".
Sender amr abdel halim youssif al-Sawi
Position Teacher
I have just given the unit a quick look, and I do not see any cases of I wish I would. If you can tell me exactly where they are -- book, page, exercise number, and line or item number, please do.

As for this "rule" that you mention, there is no such thing. We are more likely to talk about what we wish we had the ability to do (could) rather than what we had the volition to do (would). But when we are talking about what we wish other people did, then either could or would is possible depending on our meaning. Please see here for details.

[mr. farouk]

شــــكرا جزيــلا
و بارك الله فيك