T24 Wish| Used to F1 | be used to F2| would rather | Prefer

Topic 24     

   Wish / Used to V / be used to F2 / would rather |Prefer

A.  Wish

There are different ways to express the verb form of the word ‘wish’.

The general  rules:

a)  [S] wish (somebody) //Object Complement//

     [I] wish (you) // a happy birthday//.

     [He] wishes (us) //Bon Voyage//.

     [Ali’s parents] wish (him) //well// in his new job.       

b)  [S] wish for (object)

     [Tom] wished for (a series of Harry Potter).    

      [Tina] wishes for (a new bicycle) on (her birthday).

c)  [S] wish to V

     [Hassan] wished to go for further studies in America.

     [Albert] wishes to buy an MP3.

     [They] wish to win in the competition.

d)  [S] wish [S] were / F3

     [Peter] wishes [he] were a music genius.

     [He] wishes [he] could play violin at the concert.

     [I] wish [I] gave Nora the reference book earlier.

e)  [S] wish [S] had F4          (to express regret)

     [I] wish [I] had given them detailed instructions.

     [He] wished [he] had been more tactful.

     [Maria] wishes [she] had paid the bill in time.

B.  [S] used to V

It is used to express a past habit.

         

     He used to smoke a lot.  (He doesn’t smoke now.)

     Jack used to gamble a lot.  (He doesn’t gamble now.)

     My grandfather used to drink a lot of coffee.  (He doesn’t drink coffee anymore.)

     Albert used to speak foul language.  (But now he doesn’t speak like that anymore.)

     The two boys used to quarrel often.  (But now they are in good terms.)

C.  be used to noun / F2

It means ‘accustomed to’ a condition such as living, working, weather condition and the like.  It may also mean ‘tendency’.

be / get used to -----  noun / F2

     [Mark] has got used to (the cold weather) gradually.

     [I] am not used to (noisy places).  I am used to( living) in (a clean and quiet place).

     [Irene] is used to getting up early in the morning.

     [Jane and her family] are used to living in a big city.

     [The children] got used to the new teacher slowly.                                       53

D.  would rather

a)   [S] would rather V……. than V…………    

It is to show preference.  V = root verb

      [I] would rather stand here than sit there.

      [She] would rather take (a walk) than ride (a bicycle) there.

      [Jack] would rather fail than cheat in the examination.

      [Aminah] would rather go hungry than eat the stale food.

      [Ilena and Irene] would rather drink (some plain water) than drink (coffee).

b)   [S] would rather [S] F3………………………..   

     

‘Would rather’ may have a present or future meaning.  It has the meaning like ‘wish’.

     [Henry] would rather [Paul] went with him to see the headmaster.

     [I] would rather [Jean] took over (the leadership of the group).

     [Nora] would rather [her parents] visited her during the school holidays.

     [Albert and his brother] would rather [their friends] came to their house at the

     weekend.

     [Chong Beng] would rather [his parents] gave him some more pocket money.

E.  Prefer

a)  [S] prefer (noun) to (noun)

     [John] prefers (tea) to (coffee).

     [I] prefer (oranges) to (apples).

b)  [S] prefer (F2) to (F2)

     [Rita] preferred (singing) to (dancing).

     [Jean] prefers (listening to the radio) to (watching TV).

c)  [S] prefer to v

     [Maria] prefers to walk there.

     [Albert] preferred to take a nap in the afternoon.