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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > The verb to be : subjunctive mode
The verb to be : subjunctive mode
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Mouna mch
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The verb to be : subjunctive mode
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hello everybody,
these days I �m dealing with conditional type 2, and a question is just bothering me:
I know that the"were" ,which is called the "past subjunctive", is commonly used in
conditional (hypothetical) statements, such as #2.
in this case ,is not wrong or less common to use "was" with he/she/it?
thanks in advance
Regards
Mouna |
6 Feb 2012
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sijorumo
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Hi!
�Was� is not wrong, the thing is that it�s more usual
to use were than was.
If you are going to use the form �was� in written
English or in testing situations, it�s grammatically incorrect. But if you are
going to use it in everyday conversations, the form �was� is OK. |
6 Feb 2012
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noeneo
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dear Mouna..
if we are talking about conditional sentence especially the second type, "was" can �t used. we have to use "were" because it belongs to unreal condition, the past tense form of be is always were in a conditional sentence...it can NEVER be was in correct English...
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7 Feb 2012
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james33
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WERE not WAS because it �s an unreal conditional, a present wish.We must use WERE to show and explain the non-reality of the conditional.The same thing with the expressions:I WISH/IF ONLY+SIMPLE PAST AS WITH THIS FORM WE ALSO EXPRESS A PRESENT WISH and we must use WERE not WAS.
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7 Feb 2012
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