Difference between "I wish I had done it" vs "I wish I could have done it"

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ESL forum > Grammar and Linguistics > Difference between "I wish I had done it" vs "I wish I could have done it"

Difference between "I wish I had done it" vs "I wish I could have done it"

dobrawaa

Difference between "I wish I had done it" vs "I wish I could have done it"

I can �t figure out the difference between these too. Could you please help me!

Ania

18 Mar 2018

cameron.t

I wish I had done it means you regret that you did not do something.

I wish I could have done it means you wish there had been the possibility for you to do it (but there wasn �t the possibility)

18 Mar 2018

dobrawaa

Thank you!

18 Mar 2018

ldthemagicman

Ania,

1. I wish I had done it.

2. I wish I could have done it.

Cameron.t is correct.

1. My brother asked me to go to Paris with him for the weekend, but I said "No!" Later, he phoned to say that it was fantastic and I should have agreed to come.

Now, I wish I had agreed!

2. My brother asked me to go to Paris with him for the weekend, but I said "No!", because I didn �t have any money. Later, he phoned to say that it was fantastic and I should have agreed to come. Unfortunately, I didn �t have enough money for the air fare, or the hotel, so it was impossible!

I wish I could have agreed.

Les Douglas

18 Mar 2018