Questions regarding the subjunctive verb mood
37
votes
7answers
13k views
“If I was” or “If I were”. Which is more common, and which is correct?
My question of whether to use if I was or if I were. Which one is incorrect or nonstandard?
5
votes
3answers
3k views
When should I use the subjunctive mood?
In which cases should I use the subjunctive mood?
I suggest that every applicant fill out the form carefully.
If she were rich, she would live on Long Island.
23
votes
5answers
2k views
Why have the subjunctive and indicative converged in Modern English?
It is to me a curious fact that the subjunctive mood of verbs in English has so nearly disappeared in modern times. In fact, even the correct form and usage of the subjunctive in Modern English barely ...
21
votes
6answers
16k views
When do I use “can” or “could”?
When should I use can? When should I use could?
What is right under what context?
18
votes
6answers
9k views
Which is correct: “what if there was” or “what if there were”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“If I was” or “If I were”. Which is more common, and which is correct?
Is this correct grammar?
What if there was a Stack Overflow on…
...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
“Was” or “were” in subjunctive clauses
I'm not a native english speaker, so even though I'm decently proficient at it, I don't really "know the rules" sometimes, and this is one that's been confusing me for a long time.
Which one is ...
3
votes
3answers
3k views
Why is this sentence correct? “She suggested that he go to the cinema.”
Why is this sentence correct?
She suggested that he go to the cinema.
I would definitely use goes instead of go.
1
vote
1answer
992 views
“If I would have lost you” vs “If I had lost you”
I watched a (Hollywood?) film the other day where a character visiting his just-hospitalised wife (who it seems will actually survive) says "If I would have lost you [I don't know what I'd do]".
I'd ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Correct usage of was/were on the object of a sentence [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“Wasn't” vs “weren't”
On a Tuesday morning, which of these sentences is the better way to express that I already want it to be Friday?
...
4
votes
1answer
450 views
Conditional sentences not starting with “if”
Were I rich, I would live on Long Island.
If I were rich, I would live on Long Island.
Is the first sentence still used, or is used in particular contexts (in example, to give emphasis to the ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
“Important that John bring/brings” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When should I use the subjunctive mood?
Given the sentence
John brings his lunch to school,
is it correct to say
It is important that John brings his lunch to ...
7
votes
3answers
740 views
Different conditional clauses — “if you saw”, “if you were to see”, “if you had seen”
Given the following sentences, what is the difference between the conditional clauses in them?
If you saw a lion in a thick forest, what would you do?
If you were to see a lion in a thick ...
5
votes
5answers
527 views
Is it correct to say: “I would do something, be it me”?
I mean that "I would do something, if it only were me. But it was not me, so I've done nothing".
3
votes
1answer
916 views
Speculative conditional: Why does it use the past tense or past perfect tense?
We use simple past to state a hypothetical present situation that we would like to speculate about (If they were here, I would be happy), past perfect for a hypothetical past (had they been here, I ...
4
votes
3answers
675 views
Why is American English so wedded to the subjunctive? [closed]
In the sentence 'She suggested that they go to the cinema' there is no way of telling from the sentence in isolation whether it means that the speaker gave advice on attending a moving picture show, ...
6
votes
3answers
590 views
What tense is “If I were a bird, I could fly”
The sentence is not referring to any time past, present of future. It's just referring to an imaginary condition which has never existed and seemingly will never exist. Still, the sentence and other ...
2
votes
4answers
2k views
Usage of the future subjunctive
In the Wikipedia article about the subjunctive mood, I read that the future subjunctive of own for the first person singular is I were to own.
In which situations is the future subjunctive used in ...
3
votes
2answers
395 views
When is “will” used in an “if” clause?
Given the following sentences that use will in the if clause (which is seldom with if-clauses and therefore, I'm not sure they all are even grammatical or not).
If you will/would kindly lend me ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Which one is correct: “wish I was here” or “wish I were here”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
“If I was” or “If I were”. Which is more common, and which is correct?
Which one is the correct form: "Wish I was here" or "wish I were here"? ...
2
votes
2answers
300 views
Past perfect sentence in “I would have killed the snake if I had hit him…”
Is the following a correct past perfect sentence?
I would have killed the snake if I had hit him hard with a stick.
2
votes
5answers
604 views
Am I using the subjunctive mood correctly?
Does this sentence use the subjunctive correctly?
He spoke as though he was the only one to tell the truth.
1
vote
3answers
88 views
“Be not” or “is not”?
My point here is trying to explain why the message issued is not correct according to the operations allowed ahead.
However, I'm in doubt about the bold part, is it grammaticaly correct or is there ...
5
votes
3answers
244 views
“Even were he not to…”
I am currently reading "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" by P.K. Dick and I have come across a grammatical structure I don't quite understand. The excerpt is the following (no spoilers, don't ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
“if it wasn't for…” vs “if it weren't for”
Should it be "if it weren't for holes, a bagel would be a bun" or "if it wasn't for holes, a bagel would be a bun"?
I've been reading about the subjunctive and how it is generally used with "if" ...
5
votes
2answers
262 views
How can you make “to be” explicit and simple in this future conditional sentence?
I can say "Jerry's been a bad pussycat this morning" or "Hey, Jerry, you be a good pussycat now" or "Jerry's been active all morning so he's being a good pussycat now". All these involve the use of ...
3
votes
1answer
770 views
How to conjugate the verb in a sentence that starts with “I wish…”
I generally find it hard to construct some sentences that start with "I wish, ..."
Example:
(Background:) Due to an incomplete technical documentation, we chose the wrong path, and ran into an ...
1
vote
4answers
153 views
A prediction made in the past that affects something we will do in the future
Please ignore the factual accuracy of this sentence and focus on the tenses used.
If the Mayans were wrong to end the calendar on Dec. 20, 2012, we'll use your donation to fund 2013 programming.
...
1
vote
1answer
248 views
“if you were” vs. “if you did”
In the following two sentences "did" and "were" seem to be conveying the same meaning. If that's the case, what is the difference between the two and which one is more preferred?
If you studied, ...
1
vote
3answers
772 views
The third conditional for “if I could”
What is the third conditional for "if I could"? For example, we say:
If I had studied hard, I would have passed the exam. How about this:
If I could study, I would have passed the exam.[Is ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
Use of subjunctive with “in order that”
Is it correct to use "that+subjunctive" after the phrase "in order"?
For example: Nutritionist recommend that people at risk for anemia consume iron supplements in order that blood counts remain ...
-2
votes
2answers
1k views
“Be them” or “be they”? [closed]
Which of the following is grammatical?
He had lollies be they red or blue?
He had lollies be them red or blue?
It seems as if it could be them as an object of be.
