Learn English – Wish & Hope & “have”

grammarwish

I'm learning English with "English Grammar in Use. 2012 4-ed. by Murphy R." book and I'm confused with an explanation in Unit 41 "Wish".

It's said there that it's ok to say

"I wish you a pleasant stay here."

or

"I hope you have a pleasant stay here."

but not

"I wish you have a pleasant stay here."

"I wish you would have a pleasant stay here."

So, the question is why I cannot say

"I wish you had a pleasant stay here."

?

I guess it's also correct but just is missed in the examples. Am I right?

Best Answer

To wish people a pleasant stay

is a hope that hosts typically express when guests/clients arrive. It's what you expect to hear from a receptionist when you check into a hotel. It looks ahead.

When the guests come to settle the bill at the end of their stay, the receptionist may well say:

I hope you had a pleasant stay

This looks back on the period when the guests were staying at the hotel.

It's wrong to say:

I wish you had a pleasant stay

because it confuses the future and the past - and it's not idiomatic.

It's possible to write:

I wish you had better manners

but it's never idiomatic to write:

I wish you have (anything)

Instead, you would say:

I hope you have/had

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