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I wish I was/were her.
' Got a bet with Leah (Junya), another poster here on italki.
I say it is: I wish I was her.
She says it is: I wish I were her.
Who is right has to by the drinks when I am in Shanghai.
I say it is: If I were her, that is okay. But but the 'to wish' it stays was. I wish I was her. 'Her' is another girl, a person.
I say it is: I wish I was her.
She says it is: I wish I were her.
Who is right has to by the drinks when I am in Shanghai.
I say it is: If I were her, that is okay. But but the 'to wish' it stays was. I wish I was her. 'Her' is another girl, a person.
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Older prescriptive grammar books insist on the use of the subjunctive form "were". Most modern, descriptive grammar books accept both "were" and "was" as being grammatically acceptable, but they suggest that "I wish I were" is more appropriate in formal contexts. Both are grammatically correct because in modern English, the only thing needed to express a counter factual situation is a past tense verb.
If I was her = I'm not her,
Just as,
If I were her = I'm not her.
It works the same way with 'wish'.
If I was her = I'm not her,
Just as,
If I were her = I'm not her.
It works the same way with 'wish'.
It's subjunctive vs indicative case. You use "were" in a situation that has never and will not exist. You use "was" in a situation that once did or could exist. For example:
If I were a donkey I'd stink.
If I was there I'd pee myself.
So, in your case it's "were" because you can never be her.
If I were a donkey I'd stink.
If I was there I'd pee myself.
So, in your case it's "were" because you can never be her.
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