Learn English – use ‘I wish I were there’ in this situation

grammaticalityirrealis-were

There were workshops a few days ago. I couldn't be there. I'm watching photographs from that time and I'm wondering what I should use.

'I wish I were there' or 'I wish I were be there' or something elese?

Best Answer

The former; 'I wish I were there'.

An alternative here could be 'I wish I was there'. Using the subjunctive 'were' rather than 'was' seems to express a sense of impossibility, whereas 'was' leaves more room for a possibility. In formal contexts, the usage of 'were' appears more often. Both are considered grammatically correct (although more restrictive grammar books tend to dismiss 'was')

Note that your other suggestion ('were be') is incorrect.

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