Take a look at the two following sentences. Why do we use were in the first sentence and was in the second. Show If I were rich, I would buy you a car. If she was feeling sick, it's good that she went home. ExplanationIf I were rich...<-- I am not rich, but I imagining what I would do if I were. "I were" is called the subjunctive mood, and is used when you're are talking about something that isn't true or when you wish something was true. If she was feeling sick...<-- It is possible or probable that she was feeling sick. "I was" is for things that could have happened in the past or now. If I Were ExamplesIf I were you, I would study harder. < < I am not you. It is impossible for me to be you. If I Was ExamplesIf I
was wrong, I am sorry. < < I might have been wrong. Writing PracticeHow would you complete these sentences? Leave your answers in the comments area. If I were rich, I would ... If I were the president of my country, I would... If were a bird, I would... If I were young again, I would... Learn English in Malta with EC. Now decide if the following sentences need was or were:
Bookmark/Search this post with: Was and were are both past tenses of the verb to be. The verb be is a tricky one because it is an irregular verb and one that we find ourselves using with great frequency, so it is that much more important that we choose the correct verb for our sentences. In this post, I want to go over the grammar behind was vs. were, when it’s correct to use which one, and give you a few tips to keep track of them both. After reading this post, you shouldn’t have any trouble correctly choosing between was or were in your future writing. Forms of Was and WereAs I said above, was and were are in the past tense, but they are used differently.Was is used in the first person singular (I) and the third person singular (he, she, it). Were is used in the second person singular and plural (you, your, yours) and first and third person plural (we, they). The forms that was and were will take in your sentence are summarized in the chart below, Singular = I was, You were, He was, She was, It was Plural = We were, You were, They were
If I was vs. If I wereWhile some people get mixed up on what we’ve covered above, most of the confusion with these two words centers on the use of the subjunctive mood and specifically the two phrases if I was vs. if I were. For example, which of the following two choices is correct?
-or-
You hear people say both each and every day, so it’s hard to know which is correct. The answer, however, has to do with the subjunctive mood. Subjunctive MoodThe subjunctive mood is a verb form that is used for unreal or hypothetical statements. It is made up of the phrases I were, he were, she were, it were, etc. You often use this form when you are being wishful. For example,
All of the above sentences use the verb were because they aren’t true; they do not describe reality. In the first two sentences, I am talking about things I wish would happen. In the third and fourth sentences, I am talking about situations that would happen if I were taller and if John were rich, speaking hypothetically. And the fifth and sixth sentences are examples of unreal statements. When to Use WereAnother good example of the subjunctive mood can be found in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. In the song, “If I were a rich man,” the character Tevye sings about how different his life would be and all the things he would do if he were rich. If I were a rich man, I’d build a big tall house… If I were a rich man, I’d have the time that I lack. If I were a wealthy man, I wouldn’t have to work hard. In these lines, Tevye is fantasizing about life as a wealthy man. He isn’t rich now; he’s just imagining it, so we need to use the subjective “If I were,” not “If I was.” The correct answer for the example above, therefore, is, “If I were a better cook, I could entertain more.” Tricks to RememberTwo good clues for the subjunctive mood are the words if and wish. If you see either of these words, there is a good chance you will need to use the subjunctive. When to Use WasSince were is used for statements that do not describe reality, was is just the opposite. Was is used for statements of fact. For example,
SummaryThese words are used differently in sentences, so it’s important to know when to use were vs. was. Was is used in the first and third person singular past. It is used for statements of fact. Were is used in the second person singular and plural and first and third person plural. It is used in the subjunctive mood to indicate unreal or hypothetical statements. The words if and wish usually indicate the subjunctive mood. < Where versus Were versus Wear Was versus Were > Contents
Should I use were or was with I?So to recap, if you're talking about something real that happened in the past, use the past tense indicative: I was or he/she/it was. (Were is used with the other pronouns.)
Can we say I were?"I were" is called the subjunctive mood, and is used when you're are talking about something that isn't true or when you wish something was true. If she was feeling sick... <-- It is possible or probable that she was feeling sick.
Is it proper to say if I was?It's easy to confuse the two phrases. “If I was” and “If I were” are often used interchangeably even by native English speakers, but which one is correct? The short answer: they're both right AND wrong.
What to use after I was or were?You can't go wrong choosing were with the second person (you), the first person plural (we), the second person plural (you), or the third person plural (they). We only need to make a choice about when to use was or were with the first person singular (I) and the third person singular (he, she, or it).
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