Advanced Grammar B2

Wish and If Only: Regrets & Unreal Situations

Master sophisticated wish and if only structures for expressing regrets, unreal situations, and hypothetical scenarios in executive business contexts.

Use wish + past simple and if only + past simple to express desires about present situations that are different from reality.

Structure:

I wish + subject + past simple

If only + subject + past simple

Business Examples:

  • • I wish our office were located in the financial district.
  • • If only the market conditions were more stable right now.
  • • I wish we had more resources for this project.
  • • If only our competitors weren't so aggressive in pricing.

Important Notes:

  • • Use "were" for all persons with wish/if only (not "was")
  • • If only is more emphatic and emotional than wish
  • • Both express impossibility or difficulty of change
  • • Common in strategic planning and market analysis discussions
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