The word wish is usually used for hypothetical (imagined) situations, when you
want something in the present or past to be different.
When you’re wishing a present situation was different, use wish + simple past:
▶️ I live near the beach, but I wish I lived near the mountains.
▶️ I wish my mother knew how to use a computer, but she’s terrible with
technology.
▶️ I’m very busy and I have no free time. I wish I didn’t have to work so much.
▶️ Getting a visa to travel to the U.S. is difficult. I wish the process wasn’t so
complicated.
When you’re wishing a past situation was different, use wish + past perfect:
▶️ I didn’t go to college. I wish I had gone to college when I had the chance.
▶️ I wasn’t expecting your visit. I wish you had called me first.
▶️ Yesterday I got angry at my best friend. I wish I hadn’t said she was stupid.
▶️ I wish I hadn’t seen that horror movie. I’ve been having nightmares for the
past week!
The word hope is used when you want a specific result, and when there is (or was)
a real possibility of getting that result.
When you are hoping for a result in the future, you can use either hope + present or
hope + will + verb (they are equal; there is no difference):
▶️ I bought a present for my girlfriend.
I hope she likes it. OR I hope she’ll like it.
▶️ My final English exam is this Friday.
I hope I get a good grade. OR I hope I’ll get a good grade.
▶️ The festival is next Saturday.
I hope it doesn’t rain. OR I hope it won’t rain.
You can also use hope in the past continuous, past perfect, or past perfect
continuous, when you wanted a result, but that result didn’t happen:
▶️ I was hoping my girlfriend would like the present I bought her, but she hated
it.
▶️ I had hoped to get a good grade on my English exam, but I failed.
▶️ I’d been hoping it wouldn’t rain, but there was a huge thunderstorm and the
festival was canceled.