Question

Identify if the given sentences are correct or incorrect. Correct the ones that are wrong.

You wish to have more money than you have now. How do you express it?

I wish I would have more money.

• A. Wrong ; I wish I had more money.
• B. Wrong ; I wish I have more money.
• C. Wrong ; I wish I will have more money.
• D. Correct

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Wrong ; I wish I had more money.

Let’s examine the sentence: “I wish I would have more money.” The person is imagining and wishing that he had more money in the present times. The phrase, “I wish I had ….,” is used to express such situations. Think of the phrase "I wish I had..." as similar to the second or unreal conditional. This sentence talks about the second conditional that is used to express imaginary and impossible situations. The second conditional uses forms of verbs in past tense. In case of second conditional, when ‘I/we wish’ is used to talk about a regret about a present or future event, then the expressions ‘I/We wish’ is followed by past simple. Hence, Option A would be used to express this wish correctly.