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I think it is grammatically not correct to use the phrase 'I wish I was' in any sentence or, any situation. The correct phrase for its substitute will be 'I wish I were'. For instance, I wish I were on the first floor (I am actually staying on the ground floor).

KillingTime
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gete
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  • In most situations, you can use "was" instead of irrealis "were" (sometimes wrongly called the 'past subjunctive'). – BillJ Nov 17 '19 at 09:07

1 Answers1

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Since 'I wish I was' explicitly is referring to a hypothetical situation, it's invoking what's called Subjunctive Mood.

The subjunctive mood is a verb form that is used for unreal or hypothetical statements. It is made up of the phrases I were, he were, she were, it were, etc. You often use this form when you are being wishful. For example,

  • I wish I weren’t so shy.
  • I wish it were warmer outside.

Was vs. Were: What’s the Difference?

So, if you're concerned with grammatical correctness then it should always be "I wish I were..." (unless you can devise a sentence where "I wish..." isn't referring to a hypothetical situation). In the real world, those less concerned with grammar will use "I wish I was..." and everyone will still understand what they mean.

KillingTime
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  • So is it ever correct to say "I wish I was"? Your explanation skips over what seems to be the main part of the original question. – nnnnnn Nov 17 '19 at 11:53
  • Huddlestone et al say that the indicative must be considered accepted here nowadays. And this is a multi-dupe. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 17 '19 at 13:26