If the verb in the if clause is “to be,
” use “were
,” even if the subject of the clause is a third person singular subject (i.e., he, she, it).
Can I use she were?
Forms of Was and Were
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).
Is if it were grammatically correct?
Guideline: Use were (instead of was) in statements that are contrary to fact. Closer look: Statements contrary to fact, especially those that begin with “if,” call for a special form of the verb known as the SUBJUNCTIVE. … (
Were is the correct choice
even though the main verb is in the past tense.
Why do we say if I were?
The reason we use WERE instead of WAS is
because the sentence is in the SUBJUNCTIVE mood which is used for hypothetical situations
. This is a condition which is contrary to fact or reality (the fact is, I am NOT you). In the subjunctive mood we use IF + I / HE / SHE / IT + WERE for the verb To Be.
Which is correct if it was or if it were grammar?
Many people use if I was and if I were interchangeably to describe a hypothetical situation. The confusion occurs because when writing in the past tense, I was is correct while I were is incorrect. However, when
writing about non-realistic or hypothetical situations, if I were is the only correct choice
.
What is correct sentence?
In order for a sentence to be grammatically correct,
the subject and verb must both be singular or plural
. In other words, the subject and verb must agree with one another in their tense.
Is if I were a boy grammatically correct?
Senior Member. It’s were instead of was because it’s a contrary-to-fact situation that calls for the subjunctive. Many English speakers do not make the distinction and simply say “if I was a boy,” but
this is not considered correct
.
Where do we use were?
Generally, “
was is used for singular objects
and “were” is used for plural objects. So, you will use “was” with I, he, she and it while you will use “were” with you, we and they. There is a tip you might want to consider. Even though you are singular, you must use “were”.
Has or had meaning?
Summary: 1. ‘Has’ is the
third person singular present tense of ‘have’
while ‘had’ is the third person singular past tense and past participle of ‘have. ‘ … Both are transitive verbs, but ‘has’ is used in sentences that talk about the present while ‘had’ is used in sentences that talk about the past.
Was or were in if clause?
If the verb in the if clause is “to be,” use
“were
,” even if the subject of the clause is a third person singular subject (i.e., he, she, it). … See the examples below for an illustration of this exception: If I was a rich man, I would make more charitable donations.
Could vs Can grammar?
Can, like could and would, is
used to ask a polite question
, but can is only used to ask permission to do or say something (“Can I borrow your car?” “Can I get you something to drink?”). Could is the past tense of can, but it also has uses apart from that–and that is where the confusion lies.
Who V Who?
When in doubt, try this simple trick: If you can replace the word with “he”’ or “’she,” use who. If you can replace it with “him” or “her,” use whom. Who should
be used to refer to the subject of a sentence
. Whom should be used to refer to the object of a verb or preposition.
What if questions grammar?
We use what if at the beginning of a question when we are asking about the consequences of an action, particularly one that is undesirable. We refer in this way to present or future circumstances: What if I am made redundant and have no work? What shall we do then?
What if I were vs what if I was?
Use ‘if I was’ for real situations that are in indicative mood. Used in a subjunctive mood, ‘if I were’ indicates an unreal situation.
Something that can never happen
. You are imagining a situation, that isn’t true yet or cannot be true.
Is past perfect tense?
The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is
used to make it clear that one event happened before another in the past
. It does not matter which event is mentioned first – the tense makes it clear which one happened first. when I arrived in the office.
What is the past tense of was?
The simple past tense for was
vs
. were. The simple past tense is the only past tense form we use for were and was because “was” and “were” are the preterite forms of the verb ‘to be.
