Wish & If Only: Past Simple Transformation

In this exercise, you transform real present situations into wish sentences using the past simple. The pattern is straightforward: take what is true now and express the opposite with "wish" or "if only." For example, "I don't have a car" becomes "I wish I had a car." The verb shifts from present to past, but the meaning stays in the present — you are expressing what you want to be different right now.

Watch for verb changes carefully: positive sentences become negative wishes and negative sentences become positive wishes. "She lives in a small flat" becomes "She wishes she didn't live in a small flat." Remember to use were instead of "was" in formal English: "He is short" becomes "He wishes he were taller," not "was taller." Also note that "have" in the original becomes "had" in the wish: "We don't have enough money" becomes "We wish we had enough money." This transformation skill is essential for Cambridge B1-B2 key word transformation tasks.