wish clauses

Yoong Liat wrote:

Hi Goodman You wrote: Oh by the way, you still have not acknowledge whether you were talking about your examples in indicative or subjunctive mood. The problem doesn't lie in whether it is in indicative or subjunctive mood. The most important issue is whether the usage of 'was' with 'wish' is wrong or not. Best wishes

Liat,

_{I have nothing to gain from debating with you on the correctiveness of "were" or "was" particularly in your examples. You kept avoiding the word subjunctive. Is there a reason why?}

I am beginning to realize that you are talking grapes while I am talking about apples. You can’t make a grammar argument by ignoring the rules. Clearly “if” and “I wish” are subjunctive, not indicative, therefore by reductive reasoning, it’s incorrect by traditional grammar rules. However, as suggested in quote, many continue to practice the incorrect rules. And you are among the believers.  I will make a last attempt to quote from an authenticated source to prove my point.

 

 

                         The American Heritage® Book of English Usage

                A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English.  1996.

                                     [link]

 

subjunctive after wish.  Yet another traditional rule requires you to use were rather than was in a contrary-to-fact statement that follows the verb wish: I wish I were (not was) lighter on my feet. Many writers continue to insist on this rule, but the indicative was in such clauses can be found in the works of many well-known writers.

I hope we both gain something from this debate.

 

Hi Goodman

You wrote: subjunctive after wish.  Yet another traditional rule requires you to use were rather than was in a contrary-to-fact statement that follows the verb wish: I wish I were (not was) lighter on my feet. Many writers continue to insist on this rule, but the indicative was in such clauses can be found in the works of many well-known writers.

The discussion is on whether to use 'was' or 'were' in "I wish it was not raining so heavily.'  I know that 'was' is correctly used in the sentence. However, 'were' is more correct. Why should you insist on talking about 'subjunctive'? If an authority on English tells you by example sentences that 'was'  is informal and 'were' is formal in such sentences, I think that's good enough.

Traditional rule requires you to use were. English is evolving. What is traditional may not the only correct version now, and in certain cases, is considered wrong nowadays.

Many writers continue to insist on this rule, but the indicative was in such clauses can be found in the works of many well-known writers. Exactly! If well-known writers use 'was', why do you insist that 'was' is wrong.

'The reason .... is because', according to grammar and English usage books is wrong. However, the best writers and speakers use the phrase. Can we say they are wrong? To me, they are not. 

In case, you miss reading my earlier post citing another English authority, I reproduce below what I had written earlier.

The following is quoted from Collins Cobuild English Usage, another well-known English authority.

When the subject of the 'that'-clause is a singular pronoun such as "I" or 'he' or a single noun group, you can use either 'was' or 'were' after it. (NOTICE 'WAS' IS MENTIONED FIRST). This use of  'were' is rather formal.

Sometimes I wish I was back in Africa.
I often wish I were really wealthy.

He wished it was time for Lamin to return.
My sister occasionally wished that she were a boy.

I hope you now understand that you shouldn't insist that 'was' is wrong. You may say 'was' is correct but 'were' is more correct.

Best wishes

Neeraj Jain wrote:

I feel that the use of "was" in "I wish it was not raining so heavily." is correct.

Thanks, Jain.

The use of 'were' is preferred, but 'was' is also correct.

Best wishes.

MrCurious wrote:

(I wish I would get better tomorrow.) Hi, Yoong Liat, Your sentence above is wrong I think because the subject of "would" can never be the same as the subject of "wish"

"Never" is a dangerous word to use when it comes to English grammar.   Grammatically, YL's sentence is fine.  It refers to a wish to get better (i.e. for the person's body to return to a state of good health) in the future and suggests that the speaker has already been sick for quite some time. What I find a bit unusual is the addition of the word 'tomorrow'. It would be more common simply to end the sentence with the word 'better'.  However, adding the word 'tomorrow' is not wrong.

Another way to look at the sentence is this:
I want my body to become healthy again, but it seems that my body doesn't want to do this. --> I wish my body would become healthy again. = I wish I would get better.