Quiz 1: Hope vs. Wish

Read the sentences carefully and choose the verb that is consistent with the time frame of the main verb and the implied meaning of the sentence. Remember that we hope for things that are possible; we wish for things that are impossible, unlikely, or unreal in the present or past. We signal this with past verb tenses (simple past for present or future improbabilities and past perfect for past improbabilities). The subjunctive form WERE is used with all personal pronoun subjects. (Example: I wish HE WERE well.)