How to use hope and wish can be a bit confusing, so I've prepared a table for you that I hope will help clarify things.
Let me know what you think.
Tom.
Hopes & wishes:
We use wish / if only for imaginary situations, and things we don’t think are going to happen. (Usually translated as ojalá.)
Present / future:
States = wish + past simple
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I wish/ If only you loved me, Marilyn. (But Marilyn loves Clark Gable.)
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Actions = wish + past continuous
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I wish / If only you were playing for us next week, Lionel. (But Lionel’s playing for El Barça.)
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I wish / if only we were lying on the beach.(But we’re stuck in English class.)
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Abilities = Wish + could + infinitive
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I wish / if only I could fly. (But you have to waste your money on Ryanair.)
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Complaining / or when you want people or things to change = wish + would + infinitive
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I wish / if only he wouldn’t teach us so much grammar. (But he does.)
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I wish / if only you’d stop smoking. (But I don’t think you will.)
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TIP: We can’t use would to talk about ourselves.
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We use hope for things we want to happen in the future.
Hope + clause ( Subject + verb + …)
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I hope I pass my exams. (And I might.)
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I hope they enjoy their trip to Paris. (And they probably will.)
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TIP: We use hope instead of wish / if only when we feel something is more likely to happen.
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Thanks Tom for the help
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