I know 3 languages (Turkish, Persian, English) and in all 3 of them when we are wishing for something, we do it in the past tense. I would like to know if there is an explanation to this. Why do we wish in past tense?
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Hello, Anilh, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange.
@anilh posted:when we are wishing for something, we do it in the past tense.
Could you please provide an example in English?
Aah! I teach the English Language to grade 11 students and this one drives them crazy!
Two examples in English:
1) If I were rich, I would buy that mansion.
OR
2) I wish I were on Jamaica's sunny beaches right now!
Hello, Chante, and welcome to the Grammar Exchange.
@Chante posted:1) If I were rich, I would buy that mansion.
OR
2) I wish I were on Jamaica's sunny beaches right now!
"were" in both sentences (as well as other verbs in the past in similar constructions) is a case of what we call "unreal past," or "past subjunctive": verbs in the past tense that express present or future time.