Business English B2 · Lesson 5B

Grammar Bank

The rules behind this lesson — form, use, model sentences and the mistakes to avoid.

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Grammar focus of this lesson

I wish / If only + past perfect

1 structure

wish / if only
Regret about the present, the past, and other people's behaviour.
I've got this
Rules & form
- ›Present: wish + past simple → I wish I spoke Japanese.
- ›Past regret: wish + past perfect → I wish I'd taken the offer.
- ›Ability: wish + could / could have.
- ›Annoyance about others: wish + would → I wish he would listen.
- ›if only is a stronger, more emotional version.
Examples
- “I wish I had more visibility over the pipeline.”
- “If only we'd asked for the data first.”
- “She wishes she could delegate more.”
Watch out · I wish I would have gone ✗ → I wish I had gone ✓.
Your own example