Representing thinking, perceiving, liking and desiring

Students' problems

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Problems with wish and hope

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A very common problem is for students to confuse wish and hope:

I wish the school can solve these problems quickly. (TeleNex Students)

The difference in usage is that wish is typically reserved for set expressions, eg We wish you a Merry Christmas!, or to convey a sense of knowing that the wish is not likely to come true, eg I wish I could fly. In this case then, where the thing hoped for is possible, the student should have written:

I hope the school can solve these problems quickly.

Note the following tendencies, or general rules:

	Hope is followed by can/will.
	Wish is followed by could/would.

Introduction
Patterns associated with report structures
Problems associated with the that clause
Choosing between to-infinitive and the -ing form
Inappropriate use of distancing devices
Problems with the order of participants
Metaphorical meanings
Problems with wish and hope