英文文法

願望與假設

用過去式的動詞形式表達現在意義的結構，用來表達遺憾、渴望或不真實的情況。母語人士天天都在用這些結構，從輕微的抱怨（「I wish you'd listen」），到深深的遺憾（「I wish I had studied harder」），再到委婉的偏好（「I'd rather you didn't」），都用得到。

課本裡的願望與假設

這是全球英文課程都教的標準形式，這裡用母語人士的真實短片呈現，而非虛構的例句。

I Wish：對現在的遺憾

I wish + past simple (for a present situation)

用來表達對現在的遺憾，也就是你希望「現在」不一樣的事。用過去式，表示這個願望是不真實的：你描述的正好跟現實相反。「I wish I were taller.」「I wish she knew the answer.」在日常口語中，「I wish I was」跟「I wish I were」一樣常見，兩種說法都能接受，但課本只教正式的「were」形式。

I Wish：對過去的遺憾

I wish + past perfect (for a past situation)

用來表達對過去發生或沒發生的事的遺憾。「I wish I had studied harder.」「I wish they hadn't left so early.」「He wishes he'd told her the truth.」

Would Rather

I'd rather + base verb (same subject), or I'd rather + subject + past simple (different subject)

用來表達個人偏好。在日常口語中最常見的形式是「I'd rather + 動詞原形」，用在說自己想做什麼的時候：「I'd rather stay home.」「I'd rather not talk about it.」「I'd rather cry than laugh.」如果想表達希望「別人」做什麼，就換成「I'd rather + 主詞 + 過去式」：「I'd rather you didn't smoke.」「She'd rather we left now.」這種形式在自然對話中比較少見，語氣也稍微正式、委婉一點。

Suppose / Imagine

Suppose / Imagine + past simple (for hypothetical framing)

邀請對方一起想像一個假設的情境，跟條件句一樣用過去式。「Suppose you won the lottery, what would you do?」「Imagine she found out.」「Supposing he didn't come?」