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Is It “I wish I were” Or “I wish I was”?Picture it. You’re texting your buddy, and you type out “I wish I were.” But there’s that pesky autocorrect, trying to change it to “I wish I was.” Is autocorrect giving you a hard time, or are you about to commit a grammar faux pas? First, a little grammar lesson …Were?and?was?are both past tense versions of the verb?to be. “Were”?is plural, “was” is singular.So, Why Do We Say, “I wish I were”?“I”?is a first-person singular pronoun, which is why using?were?seems confusing. Shouldn’t we always use?was?after I? Nope!“I wish I were” is actually the preference of grammar experts because you’re talking about something that hasn’t actually occurred. For example, “I wish I were on a beach right now with a pile of books.” is something a reading fanatic might say, and we’d love to join them!This is correct because of something linguists call the subjunctive mood. Subjunctive refers to words that describe doubtful or hypothetical situations, like wishes for things that aren’t real! However, sometimes we still hear “I wish I was”…But, wait a second! “I wish I was a little bit taller; I wish I was a baller…” and Pearl Jam’s “Wishlist” is littered with variations of “I wish I was.” Why?Well, let’s face it: Some of our favorite songs are full of grammatical errors. These 90s favorites aren’t exactly wrong. They’re simply non-standard.While grammarians will tell you to stick to “I wish I were” to follow the rules of the subjunctive, language has evolved, and the non-standard “I wish I was” has become increasingly popular. Our advice?If you’re looking to write a hit song, it’s fine to use the less formal “I wish I was.” If you’re writing a paper for your English professor, on the other hand, stick with the grammarians, and use “I wish I were.”MoreThe Theory ExercisesExpress wishes using these situations. Remember to move the verb one tense to the past. Example:I have so much paperwork pending. > I wish I didn’t have so much paperwork pending.I ate so much last night. > I wish I hadn’t eaten so much last night.Mary never calls me.I don’t have any money.I didn’t win anything in the lottery.I can’t go to the beach this weekend. I haven’t finished my work. Express wishes to these situations. Write different responses from part 1. Be creative. Example:I have so much paperwork pending. > I wish I had a different job!I hate living here. I don’t have any money.I dropped out of school. I am broke. I haven’t finished my work.Express wishes to these situations and then a Conditional Sentence Type III. Be creative. Example: I never studied a second language. I wish I had studied English. If I were bilingual, I wouldn’t be unemployed. I hate living here. I don’t have any money.I dropped out of school. I am broke. I haven’t finished my work. ................
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