English Grammar: Expressing Wishes About the Past

When we want to express a wish or regret about something that happened (or did not happen) in the past, we use a specific grammatical structure. This structure helps convey that the past event cannot be changed, and we are imagining a different reality.

Wish Clauses for Past Regrets

To express a wish or regret about a situation in the past, the correct grammatical structure is: Subject + wish + Subject + past perfect (had + past participle)

This construction indicates that the speaker regrets something that occurred or did not occur in the past. It refers to an unreal or hypothetical situation in the past, which is now impossible to change.

• Example: "I wish I had studied harder for the exam." (Meaning: I did not study hard, and I regret it now.)
• Example: "She wishes she hadn't left her job." (Meaning: She left her job, and she regrets it now.)

Understanding the Options

Let's analyze each given option to determine its grammatical correctness and suitability for expressing a wish about the past.

Wish: "I wish I had succeeded"

• This sentence follows the structure: Subject (I) + wish + Subject (I) + past perfect (had succeeded).
• It correctly expresses a regret about a past event (not succeeding) that cannot be changed. The speaker is wishing for a different outcome in the past.
• This is the grammatically correct way to express a wish about a past situation.

Wish: "I wish I have succeeded"

• This sentence uses the present perfect ("have succeeded") after "wish" when referring to a past event for regret.
• While "I wish" can be followed by a simple past for present wishes or "would/could" for future wishes, for expressing regret about something that did or didn't happen in the past, the past perfect is required.
• Therefore, this structure is grammatically incorrect for expressing a past regret.

Hope: "I hope I had succeeded"

• The verb "hope" is generally used for things we think are possible or desirable in the present or future. It expresses a desire for something to happen or to be true.
• Using "hope" with the past perfect ("had succeeded") does not convey regret about an unchangeable past event in the same way "wish" does. Instead, "I hope I succeeded" (simple past) would imply uncertainty about a past action's outcome, but not regret in the sense of an unreal condition.
• For expressing regret about a past outcome, "wish" is the appropriate verb, not "hope".

Desire: "I desire I had succeeded"

• The verb "desire" means to strongly want something. While it conveys a strong wish, its grammatical usage for expressing wishes about past, unreal conditions is not the same as "wish".
• This phrasing is unnatural and grammatically incorrect in modern English for expressing regret about a past event. "I desire to succeed" or "I desire that I had succeeded" (less common) might be used for strong aspirations, but not for expressing regret over a past failure in this specific structure.

Correct Usage Explained

Based on the analysis, the only grammatically correct and natural way to express a wish or regret about a past event among the given options is using the structure "I wish I had succeeded". This accurately conveys that the speaker did not succeed in the past and now regrets that outcome.

Therefore, the sentence that correctly expresses a past wish or regret is "I wish I had succeeded".