Elizabeth
If I were/was him, I would go. Was or were?
2011年8月19日 09:28
回答 · 4
1
In this case, it is "if I were". Here is the rule for "if I was" or "if I were": Either of these can be correct, depending on the situation. The difference between these two expressions is that one is talking about reality, and the other is supposing something that is impossible or totally not true. The grammatical terms for these two modes of speaking are indicative (for indicating facts) and subjunctive (for supposing the impossible, or supposing something that is known to be untrue). "If I were you, I wouldn't be so sure of myself." (it is impossible for me to be you) "If I was wrong, I didn't know it." (this is a reality situation)
2011年8月19日
1
If I was him = reality, or a real possibility If I were him = imagined situation; you were never him. (Use this one!) My question: "if I were him" or "if I were he"? ;)
2011年8月19日
Here are some comments on the subject from Dr. Wheeler at Carson-Newman College. Most Indo-European languages, in addition to verb tenses (which demonstrate time), have verb moods (which indicate a state of being or reality). For instance, the most common moods in English include the indicative, the imperative, the interrogative, and the conditional. Another, rarer mood is the subjunctive mood (indicating a hypothetical state or a state contrary to reality, such as a wish, a desire, or an imaginary situation). It is harder to explain the subjunctive. Five hundred years ago, English had a highly developed subjunctive mood. However, after the fourteenth century, speakers of English used the subjunctive less frequently. Today, the mood has practically vanished; modern speakers tend to use the conditional forms of "could" and "would" to indicate statements contrary to reality. The subjunctive only survives in a few, fossilized examples, so they can be confusing. Here are the most common uses: By far the most common use of the subjunctive is the use of the subjunctive after "if" clauses that state or describe a hypothetical situation. Subjunctive: "If I were a butterfly, I would have wings." Note that in the indicative, we normally write, "I was." For instance, "When I was a young boy, I liked to swim." However, to indicate the subjunctive, we write "I were." The subjunctive indicates a statement contrary to fact. In the butterfly example above, I am not really a butterfly, but I am describing a hypothetical situation that might occur if I were one. Indicative: "When I was a butterfly in a former life, I had wings." In this sentence, the author uses the indicative to indicate that she indeed was a butterfly in the past, and she is not just hypothetically speaking about a situation contrary to her reality. Note that "when" usually takes the indicative after it, and "if" frequently takes the subjunctive.
2011年8月19日
'were'
2011年8月19日
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