I was vs. I were: What would you do if I was president? If I were the leader of the free world, what would you expect me to do? Are either of these statements grammatically correct? Do you recognize this as a question about the past subjunctive verb mood? Yes, verbs are moody. Verbs can be declarative/indicative, to express a fact or opinion (“I need toothpaste to brush my teeth”). They can be imperative, to express a command, issue advice, or make a request (“Finish this on time”). Or verbs can be subjunctive, to express a doubt, wish, recommendation, or something contrary to fact (“It is important that I write this on time”). Subjunctive mood is extra fun because it can be either present or past tense. In the For past subjunctive, the same form as simple past is used; however, for the verb be, were is used for all persons and numbers. So, if I really want to speculate about being in charge, I would ask, “What would you do if I were president?” I’d never speculate by writing, “if I was.”
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 16:27:49 +0000
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