204. ¿Cómo se dice?: I wish I would stop smoking. /I wish I could stop smoking.

Se usa could después de wish cuando se habla acerca de cambiar la propia conducta, porque tal cambio nos parece posible (a fin de cuentas, controlamos lo que hacemos), por tanto, la segunda oración es la correcta:

I wish I would stop smoking.

I wish I could stop smoking.

Se emplea también could para tratar sobre lo que se puede o no se puede hacer, ya sea en relación a uno mismo o a los demás:

I know he can’t come, but I wish Daddy could be here for the party.

I wish I could dance like you, but I’m so clumsy, I just can’t.

I wish I could learn to keep my big mouth shut sometimes.

Cuando se habla sobre cambios que se aprecian en el comportamiento de personas, animales o cosas se utiliza would, que describe conductas que se consideran características o inevitables:

I wish he would stop crying and go to sleep! I’ve changed and fed him, but he just won’t stop.

I wish the dog wouldn’t get so excited when a car drives past. He’ll be barking for hours now.

I wish that door wouldn’t creek every time someone opens it.

I wish he’d learn to keep his big mouth shut sometimes.

Debe recordarse que would o could se utilizan solo cuando se expresan deseos sobre comportamientos:

I wish I was/were twenty years younger.

We can safely say that now she wishes she hadn’t dyed her hair.

I bet they wish they had asked you rather than her!

I so wish I had been there to see that!