BrE: I do wish that you would go

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Marius Hancu - 02 Nov 2006 19:32 GMT

Hello:

First, I know the original is correct, of course.
Still, I am trying to test variants, thus:

In BrE, could it be possible to have
"I do wish that you SHOULD go"
in this context?

Pls comment in terms of meaning, grammar and good manners.

--------
[Margaret Schlegel wants her aunt to visit the Wilcoxes, to see how
her sister engagement with Paul Wilcox is proceeding]

Running downstairs from the library, she cried: "Yes, I have changed
my mind: I do wish that you would go."

E. M. Foster, Howard's End, p. 15
--------

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

Reply to this Message

matt271829-news@yahoo.co.uk - 02 Nov 2006 22:10 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> E. M. Foster, Howard's End, p. 15
> --------

"I do wish that you should go" sounds unnatural to me, in any context.
"Should" has a sense of obligation, so "I do wish that you should go",
if it means anything, would seem to have to mean "I do wish that you
were obliged to go". However, the construction is not idiomatic (to me
anyway), and it's not something I would ever say or write.

The politeness of the phrase "I do wish that you would go" depends a
great deal on the context (and the way it is said). In the context you
quote it's polite enough, but if you wanted someone to go away and
leave you alone you could say "I do wish you would go" in a way that
would be intended, and understood, as being impolite (though not, of
course, so vulgar or crude as phrases like "get lost", "sod off" etc.)

Reply to this Message

Marius Hancu - 03 Nov 2006 01:30 GMT

> > Running downstairs from the library, she cried: "Yes, I have changed
> > my mind: I do wish that you would go."

> "I do wish that you should go" sounds unnatural to me, in any context.
> "Should" has a sense of obligation, so "I do wish that you should go",
> if it means anything, would seem to have to mean "I do wish that you
> were obliged to go". However, the construction is not idiomatic (to me
> anyway), and it's not something I would ever say or write.

OK, I was at least in the right neighbourhood, at least, because I felt
similarly.

> The politeness of the phrase "I do wish that you would go" depends a
> great deal on the context (and the way it is said). In the context you
> quote it's polite enough, but if you wanted someone to go away and
> leave you alone you could say "I do wish you would go" in a way that
> would be intended, and understood, as being impolite

Thank you for the confirmation.
Marius Hancu

Reply to this Message

Robert Bannister - 03 Nov 2006 02:07 GMT

>>Hello:
>>
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> would be intended, and understood, as being impolite (though not, of
> course, so vulgar or crude as phrases like "get lost", "sod off" etc.)

Since, particularly in non-American English, "should" does occur with
"I" and "we" in a non-obligatory sense, I tried to invent a similar
sentence using one of those, but I couldn't make it work. It seems "I
wish" is always going to get a "would".

Signature

Rob Bannister

Reply to this Message

Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

BrE: I do wish that you would go