'I wish I had studied harder in school'
Using wish for past regrets
To regret means that we now feel sorry for something which happened (or didn’t happen) in the past
For example:
‘I regret waking up so late this morning.’ = I am now sorry that I woke up late.
‘I regret not studying harder in school.’ = I am now sorry that I didn’t study enough.
In English we can use the word 'wish' to talk about our past regrets (I have many regrets, so it a useful word for me)!
Let’s take a look at our first example sentence using wish:
‘I wish I had studied harder in school.’
(wish + pronoun + past perfect)
Again in this example sentence the speaker is now sorry that he did not study harder in school.
Here are some more examples:
‘Noel wishes he had visited the Sorbonne when he was in Paris.’
‘We wish we had been kinder to her before she got sick.’
‘They wish they hadn’t spent so much money on their shopping trip.’
Using wish for present regrets
So far we have looked at using regret for events which happened in the past which we now feel sorry about. We can also use wish to talk about our regrets about present situations i.e. we wish that things could be different from the way they are at the moment.
‘I wish I was taller.’ = I am not tall, but I want to be.
Although we are talking about the present we use the past tense:’ I wish I was taller’ and not ‘I wish I am taller’.
Here are some examples of present situation regrets:
‘I wish I knew the way home.’ = I want to go home, but I don’t know the way.
‘She wishes she was going too.’ = She wants to go, but she can not.
‘They wish they were younger.’ = They are older than they want to be.
Complaining
When someone does something which makes us angry we can use wish:
‘I wish you wouldn’t do that’
Imagine that you share an apartment with somebody. He is very lazy. You can complain by using wish + would:
‘I wish you would wash the dishes.’
‘I wish you wouldn’t leave your clothes on the floor.’
‘I wish you would be cleaner.’
Dreams and unreal situations
We can use wish + could to talk about something that we want to do but can’t.
For impossible dreams:
‘I wish I could fly like superman!’
For possible dreams:
‘I wish I could ski.’ (This is not impossible, you just need to take lessons)
Now choose the best choice to complete each sentence:
• I wish ___ to my father.
• I wish it ___ snowing.
• I wish I ___ so old.
• I wish I ___ the train.
• I wish I ___ a day off.
• I wish the prices ___ so expensive.
Have you been searching for a unique way to wish someone a happy birthday? Well, you aren’t alone. After all, who doesn’t want to show their love with that perfect birthday wish! Everyone is looking for a unique way to say happy birthday.
This is why we’ve collected together 50 different ways to say happy birthday. Plus, we have something extra for you below, so read on.
How to Say Happy Birthday 50 Different Ways
You sustained one more year. Congrats!
I wish you a happier birthday than anyone else has wished you.
Didn’t we just celebrate this like a year ago?
You sustained one more year. Congrats!
Don’t count the candles, enjoy your day.
Happy you day.
Age is just a number.
I’m glad you were born.
I’m thinking of you on your birthday.
Another year, another 365 trips around the sun. May your next 365 trips be your best yet.
Time for your birthday tickles!
Happiest birthday to the happiest person I know.
May all your wishes come true.
Happy oldest-you-have-ever-been and youngest-you-will-ever-be-again day
Happy older you day.
Many happy returns of the day.
Many more happy returns.
To good health and happiness, happy birthday.
Have a good one.
May the best of your birthdays be today, and today be the least of those yet to come.
Happy level up day.
Happy anniversary of the day you were brought from the warm comfort of your mother’s womb into this world.
I congratulate you on surviving another year.
Haha, you’re older than me. Happy birthday.
Congratulations on another spin around the sun.
age=age+1
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.
Have a smashing birthday.
Happy birthday and happy every day, you are loved.
¡ʎɐpɥʇɹıq ʎddɐɥ
Have an ecstatically happy birthday.
Love, happiness, and a day full of joy for you.
Happy anni-birth-ery!
It’s your day.
It’s your special day.
You’re how old now!? Whoa.
It’s your birthday, time to celebrate.
Have a birthday.
Of all the people I know, you are the one whose birthday is today.
It’s your birthday, yet you are a gift to the world.
Happy birthday, champ.
Cut the cake, pour the champagne, and let the good times flow.
Here’s to aging and wrinkles.
Another birthday?
HBD
I wish you have the nicest birthday ever!
Have a fabulous birthday.
Wishing you many more candles to blow.
A day just for you.
How to Say "Happy Birthday" in Different Languages
Alles Gute zum Geburtstag – German.
Bon Anniversaire – French.
Buon Compleanno – Italian.
Charoúmena Genéthlia – Greek.
Eyd Mawlid Saeid – Arabic.
Feliz Aniversario – Portugese.
Feliz Cumpleaños – Spanish.
Furaha ya Kuzaliwa – Swahili.
Gefeliciteerd Met Je Verjaardag – Dutch.
Gratulerer Med Dagen – Norwegian.
Hauʻoli lā hānau – Hawaiian.
La Multi Ani – Romanian.
Maligayang Kaarawan – Filipino.
Otanjoubi Omedetou – Japanese.
Saeng-il Chugha – Korean.
Selamat Hari Lahir – Malaysian.
Selamat Ulang Tahun – Indonesian.
Sheng Ri Kuai Le – Chinese.
Veels Geluk Met Jou Verjaarsdag – Afrikaans.
Say Happy Birthday in a Video Gift
The best way to say happy birthday is from the heart. And the best kind of birthday gift comes from the heart. So tell someone happy birthday with a VidDay video gift.
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verb (used with object)
to want; desire; long for (usually followed by an infinitive or a clause): I wish to travel. I wish that it were morning.
to desire (a person or thing) to be (as specified): to wish the problem settled.
to entertain wishes, favorably or otherwise, for: to wish someone well; to wish someone ill.
to bid, as in greeting or leave-taking: to wish someone a good morning.
SEE MORESEE LESSverb (used without object)
to desire; long; yearn (often followed by for): Mother says I may go if I wish. I wished for a book.
to make a wish: She wished more than she worked.
noun
an act or instance of wishing.
an expression of a wish, often one of a kindly or courteous nature: to send one's best wishes.
something wished or desired: He got his wish—a new car.
SEE MORESEE LESSVerb Phrases
wish on,
• to force or impose (usually used in the negative): I wouldn't wish that awful job on my worst enemy.
• Also wish upon. to make a wish using some object as a magical talisman: to wish on a star.
SEE MORE DEFINITIONSSEE FEWER DEFINITIONS
The Language Nook – Le coin langues
4 ways to say “as you wish”
As you wish!
This is a common English expression that is very useful in a conversation when you want the other person to decide or when you leave them the choice to decide.
A very frequent mistake, especially with French learners of English as a foreign language, is to say “like you want” 😮 This stems from a literal translation of the equivalent French phrase and I must say I very often have to correct it in my EFL classes.
Fortunately, there is a choice of expressions in English that you can learn to use:
• As you wish.
• As you like.
• As you prefer.
• It's up to you.
As you wish and as you like mean the same.
However, be careful with the way you actually say it because, depending on your tone of voice, it is also a way to show you disapprove.
– I want to stay up tonight because I really want to watch that film.
– As you wish.
We can easily imagine adding a disapproving tone of voice from the second person who probably thinks the first person had better go to bed early!
If you use as you prefer, obviously, you also give the choice to the person you are talking to according to what they prefer to do.
Yet another way to tell the other person that the choice is theirs is to say it's up to you.
Here you are, you now know 4 different ways of giving someone the choice : as you wish, as you like, as you prefer and it's up to you. Practice using these 4 expressions until you can use them spontaneously in an English conversation. 🙂
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What does an advance directive include?
An advance directive includes answers to questions such as:
If your heart stops beating, do you want doctors to try to start it again?
If you cannot breathe on your own, do you want a breathing machine to do it for you?
If your kidneys no longer work, do you want dialysis? (This is a mechanical process that filters waste from the blood.)
If you cannot eat or drink, do you want to get food and liquid through a tube?
If you die, do you want to donate your organs or other body tissues?
How do I create an advance directive?
Each state has its own rules and guidelines. These are often easy to find online. You can also ask a member of your health care team to help you get them.
When you create an advance directive, tell your family and health care team. Also, tell them where you keep it and if you make changes.
How can an advance directive help me?
Creating an advance directive can help you:
Think ahead of time about what would matter most to you and the care you would want.
Have peace of mind because you wrote down wishes that can guide your family and doctors in making decisions about your care.
When do doctors use my advance directive?
Your doctor and health care team will only use your advance directive if 2 doctors agree you are too sick to make decisions.
What to do with your advance directive
You should:
Keep a copy at home.
Give a copy to every place you get treatment. This includes your doctor’s office and hospital.
Share copies (printed or scanned) with the person(s) you name as a health representative and other people you trust.
Tell your family if you change your advance directive. Also, tell your health care team and health care representative, if you have one. The information below explains what a health care representative is.
Choosing a health care representative
A health care representative is someone who tells others what you want. This only happens if you are too sick to do so. Your doctor must put it in writing that you cannot make decisions. Then, your representative can help. If you have an advance directive, this person follows it.
Another name for a health care representative is a "health care proxy." You might also hear that this person has "power of attorney" or "medical power of attorney."
How to choose a representative
The person you choose must be 18 or older. Your state might have other rules, too. Learn what they are to make sure the person you choose qualifies.
Your health care representative should also be:
Someone you trust
Someone who knows you well
Willing to talk with you about your wishes
Willing to speak up for you in the future, even if it is difficult
Able to come to your home, hospital, or care facility if needed.
In thinking about who to name as your health care representative, choose someone who respects your wishes, even if he or she has different opinions. For example, your proxy might always choose CPR for herself. But if you do not want CPR, she should be able to tell the health care team and family your wishes.
Your health care representative should be able to handle a disagreement. For example, a family member might disagree with your caregiver. In such cases, your health care proxy should be able to express your wishes to the people who disagree.
Consider choosing a second health care representative, too. This person can help if the first person cannot.
What to do after you choose a representative
Once you choose someone, fill out your state’s health care representative form. Sign it, have it witnessed or notarized, and give your doctor a copy.
Decisions for urgent or emergency care
This section explains the documents that can be used to explain what kind of care you want in emergency situations.
A "do not resuscitate" order
A "do not resuscitate" order is another way to say what kind of care you want. You can create one along with an advance directive. Or you can have one by itself. A "do not resuscitate" order is also called a DNR. Some health care systems use the term "allow natural death," or AND.
What does a DNR (or AND) mean?
If your heart or breathing stops, the health care team will try to start it again. The medical term for this is "resuscitation." It is also called "cardiopulmonary resuscitation," or CPR. The law says that the health care team must do it unless you have a medical order about it. A DNR is this type of medical order. It says what you do and do not want.
Why would I not want CPR?
The main reason is because it does not always work. For example, CPR rarely works for people with advanced cancer. Even if it does, brain damage is possible. CPR may not be wanted if a person’s goal is to live as long as he or she is comfortable, and then to die gently.
CPR usually includes a breathing machine called a ventilator. The machine keeps you breathing if you cannot breathe on your own. Some people do not want CPR because they do not want to permanently stay on a ventilator.
How is a DNR different from an advance directive?
An advance directive is a legal document that says what you want in future situations. A DNR is a medical order that applies as soon as it is written. A DNR order says you do not want CPR if your heart stops beating. Emergency medical services, or EMS, cannot use an advance directive. They have to give CPR. But if you have a DNR, they can follow what it says and not start CPR.
If you are at home, you might want to keep a copy of your DNR order visible. For example, you might put it beside the bed or on the refrigerator. That way, caregivers will see it if they come to your house. In the hospital or care center, your DNR is usually in your medical chart.
How do I get a DNR?
Talk with your doctor. A qualified member of the health care team must complete a DNR for you.
What if I change my mind?
You can change your mind at any time if you have a DNR order and decide you want CPR. Tell your health care team, representative, or another person you want to change it.
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form
A form called "physician orders for life-sustaining treatment," or POLST, is a medical order. A POLST form addresses whether to use CPR in an emergency. Therefore, POLST forms can include DNR orders, but can also state that you want and must be given CPR if your heart stops beating.
Besides CPR, POLST forms can include your wishes on:
Having antibiotics for certain types of infections
Having a breathing or feeding tube
How is a POLST different from an advance directive?
An advance directive is a legal document. It says what you want in the future. A POLST is a medical order. It says what you want if you need immediate care. Emergency medical services staff, or EMS, cannot use an advance directive. But they can use a POLST.
If you are at home, you might want to keep a copy of your POLST form visible. For example, you might put it beside the bed or on the refrigerator. That way, caregivers will see it if they come to your house. In the hospital or care center, your POLST is usually in your medical chart.
How do I get a POLST?
Talk with your doctor. A qualified member of the health care team must complete the POLST for you. You and they must both sign it.
POLST forms are available in about half the United States. But they often have different names. These include MOST, POST, TPOPP, MOLST, and COLST. Ask your doctor, social worker, or another health care team member about POLST in your state.
What if I change my mind?
You can change your POLST at any time. Tell your health care team, representative, or another person that you want to change it. A POLST is yours, and your choices are your decision.