Dmitriy
Is my sentence correct? QUESTION: Are the verbs in capital letters correct, and is my sentence correct? SENTENCE: I [WOULD HAVE BEEN] able to finish the work by tomorrow if they [HADN'T ADDED] three more tasks to it, and if it [WEREN'T] so difficult.
Oct 31, 2017 8:39 PM
Answers · 12
1
I know the other people who answered said that you should say "if it wasn't so difficult", instead of "weren't", but actually in British English, weren't is correct and is used in written English. Lots of people say "wasn't" in speech though. Your sentence is perfect
October 31, 2017
That is totally fine. You have the third conditional in there used perfectly. Please ignore when people say you can't use weren't. In American English you can use wasn't but in British we absolutely can use weren't in this situation.
November 1, 2017
Your sentence is perfect. I agree with Aisling and Paul that 'weren't' is 100% correct and that you should ignore the people who tell you to say 'wasn't'. 'If it weren't' is a subjunctive to indicate a hypothetical situation. Just one thing to add: Previous answers have given the impression that this is a GB/US difference. It isn't. It's a difference between casual informal English where 'wasn't' (the indicative form) is acceptable, and more formal/traditional English where the subjunctive is required. This distinction is common to both GB and US English, and, in fact, educated US English speakers are MORE likely to use correct subjunctives than their British counterparts.
November 1, 2017
Just the last one, better to use wasn't so difficult.
October 31, 2017
Thanks Charles and Bernabe!
October 31, 2017
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