I wish upon a star

Hello folks!

Do you know where the sentence 'I wish upon a star' comes from? For those of you who have thought that it is the title of a song, you are  right.  The song 'When you wish upon a star' was created for the Disney's adaptation of the popular tale Pinoccio, in 1940. About fifty five years later, in 1996, another Disney film was titled: 'Wish upon a star'. A film about two teenage girls that swap bodies because a wish made on a shooting star. Now, what's the meaning? 'To wish upon a star' means that according to popular legend, if someone makes a wish when you see the first star come out at night, the wish will come true. It may be a matter of believing or a matter of fate... What do you think?
However there are other very popular structures with 'I wish...'  in English and those are the ones which we are going to have a look at in today's entry. Have a look at the following sentences:

• I wish Christmas would come earlier this year. I can´t wait for six more months to get my presents! 
• I wish my brother were nicer to me. He is always winding me up! 
• Sarah wishes she had studied more for the exam. She is not happy with her mark. 

We use "Subject + wish" when we want something to happen. However, as you see in the examples above, there are three different structures that we can use after the expression. So, when do we use each structure?

1. We use  would + infinitive, when we make a wish about a future circumstance. Christmas is sometime in the future, so we use would + infinitive after "I wish". 
2. We use Past Simple, when we make a wish about a present circumstance. My brother usually winds me up so the circumstance is in the present. 
3. We use Past Perfect, when we make a wish about a past circumstance. In this case, the wish looks more like a kind of 'regret' since the past circumstance can not be changed. Sarah has already done the exam so she can not study more for that exam in the past. 

Got it? So, have a look at the following sentences and fill the gaps with the right structure:

• My mother is always driving me to uni.  I wish she ____________ (lend) me her car sometimes. 
• The students in the class wish the exam ____________ (take place) at the end of the semester instead of in the middle of it. 
• I wish _____________ (arrive) earlier. By the time I found a seat, the lecture was about to finish. 

So, what are your three answers? Well, the three answers are: - lent, - would take place, - had arrived.

Did you get them right? I hope you have. If not, have a quick read to my entry again...

Bye!