Which is correct?

[netibiza]

Why do people say "I wish I were..." when surely it should be "I wish I was...." and which is correct.

[Quizmonster]

The 'I wish I were' form is generally used when referring to something purely hypothetical..ie something that just ain't gonna happen! "I wish I were Prime Minister" for example.
(The subjunctive mood, which this is, is enormously complex...the standard reference work on English syntax takes 156 pages to deal with it. Accordingly, I'll leave it at that!)

[Kathy Huan]

The first one is correct. It is usually used in the subjunctive mood."I wish I were a wishing star." for example, means that I would never be a wishing star but I just wish to.

[netibiza]

Wow - thank you both - it's very confusing.

[SteveD]

The first part of this site gives some good examples of use of the subjunctive in modern English:

http://www.engl.virginia.edu/OE/courses/handou ts/Subjunctive.html

[netibiza]

Thanks steveD I've saved that to my desktop but doubt I'll ever understand it.

[SteveD]

netibiza, I think that you have lived in Ibiza for some time so maybe you speak Spanish. The subjunctive is used much more in Spanish than in English.

[netibiza]

runs and hides don't ever mention a subjunctive to me again! In all honestly I speak the spanish that I hear (colloquial?) and wouldn't know a past-participal or subjunctive if I was dancing the flamenco with it. Sorry. for example " I go yesterday to doctor" see what I mean!