I have noticed the Americans seem to have a different construction regarding when you say you wish something had happened. I think I have heard, for example 'I wished he would have told me', but this seems to be in the present tense, whereas the British would say 'I wish he had had told me'. Or in the past tense the Americans would say 'I'd wished he would have told me', whereas we'd say 'I wished he had told me'. Have I imagined this kind of thing?
I wish/wished
Sorry, I know 'I wished' can't literally be in the present tense, but I meant it seems to be used as the equivalent of the BE usage 'I wish', if you know what I mean.
I don't think we use "I wished" that often. "I wish" would be a much more common construction, as Guest pointed out. Where did you get this impression from?
Uriel
I just thought I had heard it a few times in spoken American English, when the person didn't actually sound like they were saying they had wished something at a point in the past, but rather that they were wishing at that point in the present.
I just thought I had heard it a few times in spoken American English, when the person didn't actually sound like they were saying they had wished something at a point in the past, but rather that they were wishing at that point in the present.
"Some native speakers of English have trouble with past tense forms."
No native speakers of English - barring children and the mentally disabled - have trouble with past tense forms.
What I suggest you meant is that some dialects have different "rules" for the past tense.
No native speakers of English - barring children and the mentally disabled - have trouble with past tense forms.
What I suggest you meant is that some dialects have different "rules" for the past tense.
well . what do this phrase mean ( caught in the cross fire ) .. and when shall I use it ???
"Some native speakers of English have trouble with past tense forms. A classic example cited by some linguists and grammarians is: "I knowed you wasn’t Oklahomy folks."
That's a dialectal thing. Even though non-standard, "knowed" in this case is identified and used by the speaker as forming part of the past tense.
That's a dialectal thing. Even though non-standard, "knowed" in this case is identified and used by the speaker as forming part of the past tense.
"Caught in the crossfire" = "crossfire" is what you have when people are shooting (firing guns) at each other from two (or more) different directions; people stuck in the middle of that hail of bullets are said to be "caught in the crossfire".
When you are using that term figuratively it usually means that you are trapped between two opposing sides of an argument, usually not one that you were even originally involved in!
When you are using that term figuratively it usually means that you are trapped between two opposing sides of an argument, usually not one that you were even originally involved in!
<<Also high intelligence and good verbal skills don't always go together. I think we've all known a few math and science teachers who were like that. >>
Like "that?" Like what, exactly? If you mean not eloquent, sure. But being eloquent or not has nothing to do with the cemented-in grammatical knowledge a native speaker naturally has.
<<No native speakers of English - barring children and the mentally disabled - have trouble with past tense forms.
What I suggest you meant is that some dialects have different "rules" for the past tense.>>
Exactly.
<<For example, a child from a literate family is more likely to speak grammatically correct>>
Linguistically speaking ALL native speakers of a language speak grammatically correct (excepting people with relevant disorders or small children still learning, as has been mentioned before) so that'll be enough of that, thank you.
Anyway, as for the "wish" thing I think 'I wished he would have told me' in the present sense sounds odd to my ears. I'd only use "I wish" in that context (and I'm an American).
Like "that?" Like what, exactly? If you mean not eloquent, sure. But being eloquent or not has nothing to do with the cemented-in grammatical knowledge a native speaker naturally has.
<<No native speakers of English - barring children and the mentally disabled - have trouble with past tense forms.
What I suggest you meant is that some dialects have different "rules" for the past tense.>>
Exactly.
<<For example, a child from a literate family is more likely to speak grammatically correct>>
Linguistically speaking ALL native speakers of a language speak grammatically correct (excepting people with relevant disorders or small children still learning, as has been mentioned before) so that'll be enough of that, thank you.
Anyway, as for the "wish" thing I think 'I wished he would have told me' in the present sense sounds odd to my ears. I'd only use "I wish" in that context (and I'm an American).
Yeah, not so sure about the "wished" bit (unless you really intend the past tense) but otherwise, yes, this is something that I've noticed. Whereas where I'm from you'll hear "I wish he had had told me." a North American might say "I wish he would have told me."
I'd say it depends when the wishing took place. If one is regretting in the present what has happened in the past then I'd say "I wish". For example "I wish he had told me he wasn't coming today because I wouldn't have come if I'd known". If one has regretted something in the past then I'd say "I wished". For example "When I was a child, I wished I wasn't fat because the other children teased me".
On the other hand, "I wished he'd told me he wasn't coming today because I wouldn't have come if I'd known" seems wrong to me because it suggests that the wishing took place in the past. But it can't have done as you did not know this person was not coming, therefore you can't have regretted what has not yet happened. The "wish" (regret) is taking place in the present for what has happened in the past.
I think the confusion arises because the verb wish isn't very concrete when used to express regret, it's something that is done in at one time but refers back to a time before then. That wasn't very well explained, but you can probably work out what
On the other hand, "I wished he'd told me he wasn't coming today because I wouldn't have come if I'd known" seems wrong to me because it suggests that the wishing took place in the past. But it can't have done as you did not know this person was not coming, therefore you can't have regretted what has not yet happened. The "wish" (regret) is taking place in the present for what has happened in the past.
I think the confusion arises because the verb wish isn't very concrete when used to express regret, it's something that is done in at one time but refers back to a time before then. That wasn't very well explained, but you can probably work out what
<<Yeah, not so sure about the "wished" bit (unless you really intend the past tense) but otherwise, yes, this is something that I've noticed. Whereas where I'm from you'll hear "I wish he had had told me." a North American might say "I wish he would have told me.">>
Yeah, maybe--either one is actually common. And I'm assuming by "I wish he had had told me" you meant "I wish he had told me." I use "I wish he had told me" most commonly tho I'm sure every once in a while a "I wish he would've told me" comes out of my mouth.
Yeah, maybe--either one is actually common. And I'm assuming by "I wish he had had told me" you meant "I wish he had told me." I use "I wish he had told me" most commonly tho I'm sure every once in a while a "I wish he would've told me" comes out of my mouth.