“Wish” shows a regret about impossibility or
improbability in the past, present or future.
Moreover, we can also use “if only” in place of “I wish” to convey an exclamatory wish. In other words, “if only” expresses longing and regret but it is somewhat
stronger than “wish”. For example:
(10) If only I had him, I wouldn’t even mind being
poor
again
[15,
p.980]
6.1.4. Annoyance To show dissatisfaction and annoyance about
something that we would like to be different but that we
do not expect to be different, “would” is employed after
“wish”. When we use it to refer to a person, it suggests
that the person refuses to change:
(11) I wish you would take some aspirin. (but you
won’t, you can take some aspirin but you refuse to take
them)
[16, p.204]
(12) I wish it would stop raining. (but it won’t, I don’t
expect
it
to
stop)
[16,
p.23]
However, we cannot wish about our own volition with
“I wish I would”: (13) I wish I could persuade you to leave off drinking.
(not “I wish I would…”)
[14, p.265]
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6.1.5. Polite Imperative The structure “I wish you would / wouldn’t” often
functions like a polite imperative because the wish can
easily be fulfilled, “if only” is less likely: (14) I wish you would come.
[14,
p.359]
(15) I wish you wouldn’t whistle. [14,
p.217]
6.1.6. High Degree of Desire