Wish, If Only & Would Rather Quiz
12 multiple-choice questions on expressing wishes, regrets and preferences in English. B2 level. Test your command of the subjunctive, past regrets and would rather structures.
Wish, If Only & Would Rather — FAQ
Both 'wish' and 'if only' express that the speaker wants a situation to be different from reality. They follow the same grammar rules. 'If only' is simply stronger and more emphatic. Compare: 'I wish I had a car.' vs 'If only I had a car!' The exclamation mark with 'if only' reflects the extra emotional force. In formal writing, 'if only' often carries more dramatic weight.
The tense depends on the time frame: (1) Present or future wish: use past simple — 'I wish I knew the answer.' (2) Past regret: use past perfect — 'I wish I had studied harder.' (3) Wish about someone's annoying habit: use 'would' + bare infinitive — 'I wish you would stop talking.' Note that 'were' is used for all subjects in formal English: 'I wish I were taller.'
'Would rather' (often 'd rather') expresses a preference between two options. Structure: would rather + bare infinitive. Example: 'I would rather stay at home than go out.' For someone else's action: would rather + subject + past simple — 'I would rather you didn't smoke in here.' For a past preference: 'I would rather you had told me the truth.'
Both are used, but they differ in register. 'I wish I were' uses the subjunctive and is considered more formal and grammatically traditional — especially in written English. 'I wish I was' is common in everyday speech. In exams such as IELTS, CAE or CPE, 'I wish I were' is the preferred form. The expression 'If I were you' is fixed and always uses 'were'.
Yes, but only in specific contexts. 'Wish + would + bare infinitive' expresses irritation or frustration about a habit you want to change. Example: 'I wish it would stop raining.' or 'I wish she would reply to my emails.' Importantly, you cannot use 'wish + I would' to talk about your own actions — use 'could' instead: 'I wish I could speak Spanish.' (NOT 'I wish I would speak Spanish.')
To express a past regret with 'wish', use: wish + subject + past perfect (had + past participle). Examples: 'I wish I had taken the job.' (but I didn't), 'She wishes she hadn't said that.' (but she did). The same structure applies to 'if only': 'If only I had left earlier, I wouldn't have missed the train.'
'Would rather' expresses a personal preference: 'I would rather take the train.' 'Had better' expresses a strong recommendation or warning — it implies something bad will happen if you don't comply: 'You had better leave now or you'll miss the bus.' 'Had better' is stronger and closer to 'should'. Both are followed by the bare infinitive (no 'to').
The subjunctive is a verb form used to express hypothetical or unreal situations, wishes, doubts, and conditions. In modern English it appears mainly in: (1) Formal suggestions: 'I suggest that he be informed.' (2) Fixed phrases: 'If I were you', 'God save the King.' (3) After 'wish' and 'if only': 'I wish I were taller.' The subjunctive uses the base form of the verb without inflection — 'she be', 'he go', 'it have'.
Yes. 'If only' can stand alone as a complete exclamation expressing a wish or regret: 'If only I had more time!' or 'If only she had told me!' These are complete sentences expressing strong emotion. By contrast, a conditional sentence with 'if' always requires a main clause: 'If I had more time, I would help you.' The standalone use of 'if only' is especially common in spoken English and literary writing.
Common errors: (1) Using present tense after 'wish': 'I wish I know' — WRONG. Correct: 'I wish I knew.' (2) Using 'wish + I would': 'I wish I would have a car' — WRONG. Correct: 'I wish I had a car.' (3) Confusing present wish vs past regret: 'I wish I studied more' (now) vs 'I wish I had studied more' (past). (4) Using 'if only' with a wrong result clause: 'If only I had money, I bought it' — WRONG. Use 'would/could': 'If only I had money, I would buy it.'