Question
Updated on
8 Dec 2022
- Korean
-
English (US)
Question about English (US)
Do these past verbs mean the hypothetical present?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**."
- "I wish there were more Colonial officers that **had** your tenacity and spirit."
Do these past verbs mean the hypothetical present?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**."
- "I wish there were more Colonial officers that **had** your tenacity and spirit."
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**."
- "I wish there were more Colonial officers that **had** your tenacity and spirit."
Answers
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- English (UK)
- English (US)
Yes, although the verb form is identical to the Past Simple, these are technically the "past subjunctive", which is used to express unreal actions or conditions.
Despite being called the "past subjunctive", it can be used to refer to the past, present or future.
Highly-rated answerer
- Korean
Thank you
But, could you tell me what your this explanation means?
>Despite being called the "past subjunctive", it can be used to refer to the past, present or future.
Do you mean it can be interpreted in two different ways?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**." => ~ what I might want in the future?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**." => ~ what I really wanted in the past?
But, could you tell me what your this explanation means?
>Despite being called the "past subjunctive", it can be used to refer to the past, present or future.
Do you mean it can be interpreted in two different ways?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**." => ~ what I might want in the future?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**." => ~ what I really wanted in the past?
- English (UK)
- English (US)
You need to have more context to know if you're talking about the past, present or future for an unreal situation, but the verb form would be the same.
"If I saw him right now, I would tell him."
"If I saw him tomorrow, I would tell him."
Highly-rated answerer
- Korean
Then, Is there no other choice but to interpret this "what I wanted" as the hypothetical future?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**." => ~ what I might want in the future? (o)?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**." => ~ what I really wanted in the past? (x)?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**." => ~ what I might want in the future? (o)?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**." => ~ what I really wanted in the past? (x)?
- English (UK)
- English (US)
As I said, you need to give more context to make it clear if you're talking about the past, present or future
Highly-rated answerer
- Korean
I'm curious about the possibility.
Whether it can be interpreted different ways depending on the context.
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**.".
- "I wish I could say what I **want**."
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**."
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted in the past**."
Whether it can be interpreted different ways depending on the context.
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**.".
- "I wish I could say what I **want**."
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted**."
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted in the past**."
- English (UK)
- English (US)
There's no real difference in meaning between:
"I wish I could say what I wanted."
and
"I wish I could say what I want."
And they would generally be interpreted as referring to the present. While it's not grammatically incorrect to use a present verb for the second action (want), in English a past verb tends to be used.
Talking about the past with your example here usually refers to a past that did not happen, and a 3rd conditional stucture is more appropriate than a 2nd conditional:
"I wish [I could have said/I had been able to say] what I wanted."
Highly-rated answerer
- Korean
I see, thank you and what I was curious about in the last two sentences was if "what I wanted" can mean both the real past or hypothetical present.
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted(hypothetical present/future)**."
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted(real past action)**."
Are both interpretatins both available?
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted(hypothetical present/future)**."
- "I wish I could say what I **wanted(real past action)**."
Are both interpretatins both available?
- English (UK)
- English (US)
"Are both interpretations both available?"
No, because here you're using "wish", which automatically implies an UNREAL action
Highly-rated answerer
- Korean
Do you mean I can't say this sentence with the conditions below?
- "I wish I could call my grandfather with a new phone I **bought(yesterday)**."
(My grandfather passed way long ago.)
(I bought a cellphone yesterday.)
Then how do I say past things in Wish clause?
- "I wish I could call my grandfather with a new phone I **bought(yesterday)**."
(My grandfather passed way long ago.)
(I bought a cellphone yesterday.)
Then how do I say past things in Wish clause?
- English (UK)
- English (US)
No, that would be correct, because what you want to do is call him *now* and the situation is unreal.
Highly-rated answerer
- Korean
Then, is there no possible way to say past things in Present/Future Wish clause?
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