Wednesday, May 29, 2013
What would happen if I were superwoman?
Many people are not aware that the word "if" should be used with "were." For example, If I were superwoman, life would be more peaceful." A plethora of people begin sentences with "If I was" rather than "If I were" and so unless it will cause conflict, I make the correction. I have heard politicians, musicians, and even radio journalists make this mistake.
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Are there any exceptions to this rule? I was under the impression that if the "if" statement is not that far-fetched, it's ok to use "was." "If I were superwoman" is rather impossible (well, for me at least), but "If I was the owner of that particular house" may be more reasonable and would not require the subjunctive. But you could do more investigation....
ReplyDeleteAccording to "Grammar Practice Activities" by Penny Ur there is no exception. However according to "A Practical English Grammar" by A.J. Thomson and A.V. Martinet, "was" in the following sentence is acceptable even though "were" is more usual.
ReplyDelete"If I was you, I should wait a bit"
I find this really interesting.Grammar is something that has many hidden rules that I never knew existed.This being one of them.
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