Question

What is the difference between “I wish I had” and “I wish I would have”?

Answer 1

Hint: This question is from the topic of conditional sentences, which are also called if–then type of sentences. In addition to this we also need to have the knowledge of the different forms of verbs, like simple present, simple past, infinitive and past participle.

Complete answer:
The above given phrases are used when we are constructing sentences in the conditional perfect tense. The conditional sentences are those sentences which have the following ideas,
- What actually happens
- What could happen
- What we wish would happen
- What might have happened

Conditional sentences have two clauses or parts separated by a comma, and they use the conjunction ‘if’. For e.g. If I had been sick, I would have gone to the doctor.
The above sentence is called the third condition.

The first clause is the ‘IF CLAUSE’ and the second clause is the ‘THEN or RESULT CLAUSE’. For the above given types, the following patterns are followed while forming sentences.
Zero condition – If + simple present, simple present
First condition – If + simple present, will + verb infinitive
Second condition – If + simple past, would + verb infinitive
Third condition – If + past perfect, would have + past participle

The words ‘would have’ is only used in the THEN CLAUSE of the third condition. It cannot be used in the IF CLAUSE.
Similarly, ‘would have’ cannot be used with the word ‘wish’.
I wish I had known. This is the grammatically correct sentence.
I wish I would have known. Is grammatically incorrect.

Note:
The following sentences are examples of sentences in the zero, first and second conditions respectively.
- If I get sick, I go to the doctor. (zero type)
- If I get sick, I will go to the doctor. (first type)
- If I got sick, I would go to the doctor. (second type)

The zero condition is a factual sentence. The first condition shows the possibility of something happening. The second condition is more hypothetical in nature.