WISHES AND REGRETS

- wishes for change in the present  (I wish + PAST SIMPLE / PAST CONTINUOUS)  

I wish I were rich / we were spending our holidays in Honolulu this year.

- regrets about something in the past (I wish + PAST PERFECT)        

I wish At Madrid had defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League Final in 2014.

- complaints about a thing or situation and that you would like it to change in the future.        

I wish my students would listen to me (Actually they don't do it, but I would like them to do it).

Here's a similar structure, although it is a bit stronger:

 

- If only... (si al menos)    to express a strong wish that things could be different. It may be used for past, present and future unreal situations.

We use if only + past verb forms to talk about a wish for the present:

If only he could speak English properly. (he can't, but he wishes he could)

If only there was some snow to ski.

Remember we can use were instead of was in more formal situations:

If only I were (was) in the Alps (when our protagonist was back in Uganda).

To talk about a wish for the future or to show a contrast between how things are and how we would like them to be, we use if only + would + infinitive without to:

If only all the students would follow the teachers' advice.

If only it would rain more during the spring.

We use if only + past perfect to talk about a wish to change something that has already happened:

If only Benitez had kept his position as Real Madrid coach. (but he didn't.)

If only Andrea had come to Chester. (but she didn't come.)