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New Year's request to help with grammar

Takheer
Hey everyone and Happy (nearing) New Year! I desperately need a thorough explanation on the proper use of the word "wish", as both a noun and a verb. Here's the things I need to clarify when "wish" acts as a verb: 1. Is "I wish someone to do X" a phrase that sounds unnatural? For example, "I wish him to be healthy", "I wish you to pass your exam", "I wish her to get better", "I wish you to stay strong", "I wish you to manage to fulfill your dreams", etc. If these are all unnatural, what would be the natural go-to phrase be so I could use it with verbs? I need a phrase that would work for general things ("to be healthy", "to stay strong", "to feel good") AND a phrase that would work for things that are yet to happen ("to pass your exam", "to get the promotion", "to find the right person"). Can you use "I wish that someone does X" when referring to general or future events from the examples above? "I wish that you stay healthy", "I wish that you get a raise", etc. I know it's possible to use "hope" when you want something to happen for someone in the future, but is "hope" the only option or can you use "wish" with the same meaning? I am aware you can use "wish that" for the subjunctive mood, like "I wish I was/were smarter", "I wish my father never lied to people" and things like that, but that's not what I'm going for here. My intent is general things a person wants for someone else or something that's yet to happen and we want them to come true. 2. How do you use "to wish for"? Is it similar to "want" but in a more poetic / magical sense? "I'm wishing for cookies right now" like "I'm craving for cookies"? Could someone please provide more examples on how to use "wish for" as a verb? Please <3 I think that's it for the verb cases. And here's the things I need to clarify when "wish" acts as a noun: 1. "A wish for something", "wish to do something", "a wish for someone to do something", are those natural? If not, what are the possible natural workarounds? I know I'm asking for a lot here, I'm sorry it's such a long read and the request is so huge. Happy holidays everyone, I really appreciate everyone's input on this!

3 comments

FaithlessnessExtra26•
To me, “I wish that you pass your exam” would be used when I’m talking to someone who hasn’t passed their exam, and I’m expressing my disapproval. In general, saying “I wish that you would do X” is expressing disapproval of someone’s (lack of) actions. So you probably shouldn’t use it if you intend to express that you hope something good happen to someone. Ex: “I wish that you would stop saying those things around me” (you say things around me that I disapprove of) “I wish that you would get better grades” (your grades are currently unacceptable by my standards) “I wish that you would listen to me” (you don’t listen to me) If I’m trying to tell the other person that I wish for something good to happen to them, I believe I would say hope. One example I can think of where wish is good to use is as follows: “I wished him a happy new year” Or “I wish you a happy birthday” (written on a birthday card) For some reason, it sounds unnatural (to me) to say “I wish you a happy birthday” directly to the listener. 2. Saying “I wish for X” sounds kinda magical or like you are expressing a desire. So “I wish for some cookies” sounds like you are talking to a fairy who may grant you cookies. You can also say wishing, as in “I am wishing for some cookies right now.” That sounds better for expressing a desire of cookies. As for when wish is a noun, you can exactly what you said. “It was his dying wish to return to the town where he was raised.” “My only wish is to see the world as it truly is” Circling back, saying “I hope you stay strong” and “I hope you pass your exam” sounds like I’m being nice.
shiftysquid•
1. Those don't sound natural to me. I'd say "I wish for him to be healthy" or "I wish for you to pass your exam." Though, in casual conversation, even those seem a little stiff to me. I'd probably be more likely to say "I hope he remains healthy" or "I hope you pass your exam." 2. You could say "I'm wishing for cookies right now," but it's not something I'd typically hear someone say. There's not a lot of reason for the present continuous tense there. You'd be more likely to hear "I wish I had some cookies right now." With present continuous, I might say something like "This morning, the people of Cuba are wishing for a left turn from the hurricane later today." That expresses the continuing nature of the wish. 3. I don't see a problem with any of those, though it's a bit hard to tell when removed from all context. It's important to note those are all phrases and not complete sentences/thoughts, so you'd need more text to show if you're using the word correctly. For the noun form, you also could "make a wish," or a genie could "grant three wishes."
SnooDonuts6494•
"Hope" sounds more natural in all those cases.