Simple and short question. Why we use "were" instead of "was" in that kind of sentence: "If I were you, I wouldn't but a new car". It sounds for me just natural to use this "were" but it seems to be grammaticaly incorrect. So why is it said like that? Are there any special (maybe historical) reasons?
"if I were you"
were here is subjunctive
''if I were to part now, I wouldn't take you with me''
''if I were to part now, I wouldn't take you with me''
In what way is the use of "were" here somehow "incorrect"? At least in the dialect here, the use of "were" would be practically mandatory, I must say.
Travis : In what way is the use of "were" here somehow "incorrect"?
I think, it's a slip of the pen, JakubikF meant WAS: "It sounds for me just natural to use this "WAS" but it seems to be grammaticaly incorrect.
I think, it's a slip of the pen, JakubikF meant WAS: "It sounds for me just natural to use this "WAS" but it seems to be grammaticaly incorrect.
"If I were you" is a residual subjunctive which survives in the modern language. It is almost idiomatic now.
By the way, there is nothing wrong at all with "If I was you." The bias against it is purely contrived.
You'll find that the subjunctive seems to be lingering on in American English whereas its use in British English appears to be declining at a more rapid rate.
By the way, there is nothing wrong at all with "If I was you." The bias against it is purely contrived.
You'll find that the subjunctive seems to be lingering on in American English whereas its use in British English appears to be declining at a more rapid rate.
Guest: I meant "were" as I've written in a way that normaly we use the verb "to be" in a past form in first person - I was (not I were) so IT seems to be grammaticaly incorrect.
I understand that the "were" is a residual subjunctive but I don't really get what "subjunctive" means though I've found short explanation in dictionary:
subjunctive - a verb form or a set of verb forms in grammar, used in some languages to express doubt, wishes etc. For example, in "if I were you", the verb "to be" is in the subjunctive.
Could you explane me this in a simplier way? Maybe there is someone who could compare this term "subjunctive" to any Slavic language?
I understand that the "were" is a residual subjunctive but I don't really get what "subjunctive" means though I've found short explanation in dictionary:
subjunctive - a verb form or a set of verb forms in grammar, used in some languages to express doubt, wishes etc. For example, in "if I were you", the verb "to be" is in the subjunctive.
Could you explane me this in a simplier way? Maybe there is someone who could compare this term "subjunctive" to any Slavic language?
>>Not quite. When speaking with American speakers, I'd recommend using the subjunctive in all conditional statements. The most permissible colloquially would be "if he/she was...", but stuff like "If I was..." or even worse "If you was..." tend to sound uneducated.
As to whether it is contrived or not, well that doesn't really factor into the equation. The fact of the matter is that these notions exist and influence speech/perception.<<
Agreed most definitely. The thing also is that such is not a mere prescriptive notion, but rather that the subjunctive is still productively used in everyday speech in many if not most NAE dialects, such that to *not* use it is likely to just be perceived as vaguely "wrong" or "off" by native speakers themselves.
As to whether it is contrived or not, well that doesn't really factor into the equation. The fact of the matter is that these notions exist and influence speech/perception.<<
Agreed most definitely. The thing also is that such is not a mere prescriptive notion, but rather that the subjunctive is still productively used in everyday speech in many if not most NAE dialects, such that to *not* use it is likely to just be perceived as vaguely "wrong" or "off" by native speakers themselves.