Choose the correct form of the Assertive sentence for the following Exclamatory sentence:
If only I were young again!
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → I wish I were young again.
Exclamatory "If only" to assertive:
| Change | Exclamatory | Assertive | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening words | If only | I wish | “If only ...!” expresses a present wish that is impossible or unlikely. In the assertive form it becomes “I wish” (present tense, since the wish is felt now) + the same clause. |
| End mark | (!) | (.) | An assertive sentence ends with a full stop. |
| Full sentence | If only I were young again! | I wish I were young again. |
The clause keeps the subjunctive were, used for unreal wishes: I wish I were young again.
Example: If only I could fly! → I wish I could fly.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: I were young again. — Incorrect. Without "I wish" the sentence is ungrammatical ("I were" cannot stand alone) and the idea of a wish is lost.
Option 2: I wished I were young again. — Incorrect. "wished" puts the wish in the past. "If only ...!" expresses a wish felt now.
Option 4: I had wished I were young again. — Incorrect. "had wished" (past perfect) moves the wish even further into the past.