Present Perfect Subjunctive with could/would/should

[vie061104]

Hi everyone,

Could anyone tell me the difference (if any) in meaning between the two sentences below. Thanks a lot.

1/ I wish (that) I could <u>have</u> met her yesterday (Present Perfect Subjunctive with the use of conditional auxiliary verbs (could, should, or would))

2/ I wished (that) I could <u>had</u> met her yesterday ( Past Perfect Subjunctive with the use of conditional auxiliary verbs (could, should, or would))

[Pete]

Hi everyone,

Could anyone tell me the difference (if any) in meaning between the two sentences below. Thanks a lot.

1/ I wish (that) I could <u>have</u> met her yesterday (Present Perfect Subjunctive with the use of conditional auxiliary verbs (could, should, or would))

2/ I wished (that) I could <u>had</u> met her yesterday ( Past Perfect Subjunctive with the use of conditional auxiliary verbs (could, should, or would))
1/ I wish (that) I could have met her yesterday (Present Perfect Subjunctive with the use of conditional auxiliary verbs (could, should, or would)) [This sounds fine; it means that you wish it had happened, but for some reason, it was not possible. It is the same as, "I wish that I had been able to meet ... ." I don't think it would be correct with should or would. ]

2/ I wished (that) I could had met her yesterday ( Past Perfect Subjunctive with the use of conditional auxiliary verbs (could, should, or would)) [This does not sound correct or natural. I can't imagine what it is supposed to mean with any of the given modal auxiliary verbs. Of course it is common and natural to say, "I wish (that) I had met her yesterday." This simply says that you wish it had happened, but it didn't. The tense of the main verb, (wish or wished) simply says whether the wishing is taking place now or occurred some time ago. Unless the time of the wishing was earlier today, yesterday wouldn't be used with wished; replace it with the day before or the previous day.]

[vie061104]

Hi Pete:

Thank you for your reply.

Is it okay to say, "I wish (that) he could had been kinder to me" ?

[Pete]

Hi Pete:

Thank you for your reply.

Is it okay to say, "I wish (that) he could had been kinder to me" ?
No. It seems that modal auxiliaries can be used with the base (infinitive) form of the main verb and with the base (infinitive) form of an auxiliary like "have" (in the case of a perfect form) or "be" (in the case of a passive). You do not follow a modal auxiliary with a past form like "had".

The correct form is:
- I wish (that) he could have been kinder to me.