Let us organize frequently used idiomatic expressions involving the subjunctive. All of them express suppositions different from reality.
Basic Rules
① I wish + subjunctive:
- I wish + past tense: “I wish ~ were the case now” (opposite to the present fact): “I wish I knew her name.”
- I wish + past perfect: “I wish ~ had happened then” (opposite to the past fact): “I wish I had studied harder.”
② as if / as though + subjunctive: “as if ~”
- Unreal at the same time: “She talks as if she were a doctor.”
- Unreal earlier: “He talked as if he had seen it.”
③ It is time + past subjunctive: “It is time to ~”: “It is time you went to bed.”
I wish I could speak Chinese fluently. (I wish I could speak Chinese fluently.)
I wish I had not said that. (I wish I had not said that.)
It is high time you started looking for a job. (It is already time for you to start looking for a job.)
Points to Note
① Difference between I wish and I hope: I hope expresses an expectation of something possible (indicative mood). I wish expresses a desire for something unreal (subjunctive mood).
② When the clause after as if is indicative: use the indicative when it is highly likely to be true. “It looks as if it is going to rain.”
③ I wish S would V: expresses a desire for a change in the future. “I wish he would stop smoking.” (I wish he would quit smoking.)
- I wish + past tense: desire for an unreal present
- I wish + had + p.p.: regret about the past
- as if + past tense: unreal at the same time / as if + past perfect: unreal earlier
- It is time + past tense: it is time to ~
- I wish S would V: desire for a change in another person’s behavior
Practice
- Translate “I wish I had watched that game” using I wish.
- Translate “He talks as if he knew everything” using as if.
- Translate “It is high time to make a decision” using It is high time.