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Nicest Thing - Learning with music, as you wish

Maria Regina de Almeida, Especial para a Página 3 Pedagogia & Comunicação

I wish I was your favorite girl
I wish you thought I was the reason you are in the world
I wish my smile was your favorite kind of smile
I wish the way that I dressed was your favorite kind of style

This is a piece of the song "Nicest Thing", sung by Kate Nash, in which she talks about the things she would like to have in her life, or that she would like to change.

As you can see, to do that, she uses I wish

 

  • Listen to the song
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  • As human beings, we have this special characteristic, among others, which is to want some things to be different in our lives. We all have goals, dreams and expectations about how our lives should be. Even in the smallest of things. For example, do you really like waking up so early during the week? Another one, it would feel better if you didn't have so many subjects at school to study, wouldn't it?


  • Well, then, unfortunately, when it comes to responsibilities, we all have to do our share of things we don't want to do. So, the only option is - well, wish things were different. We do it all the time, actually - at home, when we get up, when we go to sleep, with friends and with ourselves.

    To do that, we use:

    Subjectwishsubjectverb in the simple pastend of sentence
    IwishIwasyour favorite girl.

    What she is saying here is: "I am not your favorite girl, but I'd like to be".
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  • I wish you thought I was the reason you are in the world

    She believes he doesn't think she is the reason he is in the world.
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  • I wish my smile was your favorite kind of smile
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  • Here, she is thinking: "my smile isn't your favorite kind of smile, but I would like it to be".
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  • I wish the way that I dressed was your favorite kind of style

    What is she thinking here?

    "The way that I dress isn't your favourite kind of style."

    Now, think about your own life and make a list of 10 things that you would like to change.

    Example:

    1) I get up very early every day.
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  • I wish I didn't get up very early every day.

    2) I don't have a car.
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  • I wish I had a car.

    One more important thing - on the 3rd. verse, there is a line in which she says:
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  • I wish you'd hold my hand (you'd = you would)
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  • When we use wish someone would do something, it means that we want that person to change an annoying aspect of his/her behavior. In this case, the person doesn't hold her hand and she would like him to change that.

    There is another example in the same verse:
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  • I wish you'd never forget (you'd = you would)
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  • What does it mean? (That he usually forgets - and it makes her upset, making her want to change this aspect of his).

    By the way, if you're in doubt about the beginning of the lyrics, when she says:
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  • I wish that we could give it a go

    Well, here, the person would like to change the current situation, i.e., that they are not together yet and would like to "give it a go" (= give the new relationship a try).
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