Desiderative processes: wanting and wishing
These are expressed by such verbs as want, desire and wish. The Phenomenon role of want and desire can be expressed as either a thing or a situation, encoded by a nominal group or a to-infinitive clause, respectively; with wish only the situation meaning is possible. Both desire and wish can be used as very formal variants to want, and consequently occur in quite different registers and styles.
Do you want anything else? (thing)
If you want to stay overnight, just say so. (situation)
If you wish to remain in the college, you must comply with the regulations. (situation)
If you desire to receive any further assistance, please ring the bell (situation)
Wishing, however, can also express in the Phenomenon role a longing for an event or state that is counter to reality. This notion of unreality is expressed by a simple Past tense (or the Past subjunctive were if the verb is be) or a Past Perfect. These Past tenses have the effect of ‘distancing’ the event from speech time. Wish takes modal would + infinitive to refer to future time. The complementizer that is normally omitted:
present-time reference I wish Ted were here with us.
past-time reference I wish Ted had been here with us.
future-time reference I wish Ted would come soon.
