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If it WERE/WAS mine...

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Anonymous  #221970  Wed, 03 May 06 02:04 AM
I'm confused on the use of was and were when coupled with the pronoun "it". When "it" is used to replace a singular noun, then shouldn't one use "was" to go with it? Yet grammar check in Microsoft Word says "were" is accepible. Here is the context:

The trophy was in his closet. If it were/was mine, I'd have it on the mantle.


  
Mister Micawber  #221971  Wed, 03 May 06 02:15 AM
In all indicative mood sentences, it is a singular pronoun taking the singular verb.  The example that you have exhumed, however, is a use of the subjunctive were used in conditional sentences stating a present condition contrary to fact (the trophy is not in fact the speaker's).  Were appears with all subjects in this type of sentence:

If it were raining now, I would be very wet.
If I were king, I would rid the nation of its woes.
If she were cuter, I would ask her for a date.
If they were rich, they wouldn't be borrowing my car
.
etc.

This use of the subjunctive is quite formal these days, and you will often see was in the place of were with1st and 3rd person singular subjects.

  
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Philip  #222167  Wed, 03 May 06 05:23 PM
 Mister Micawber wrote:

This use of the subjunctive is quite formal these days, and you will often see was in the place of were with1st and 3rd person singular subjects.

A good argument for the establishment of  SPUSMA (Society for the Preservation of the Use of the Subjunctive Mood in America).Smile [:)]
  
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Philip  #222168  Wed, 03 May 06 05:27 PM
 Mister Micawber wrote:
In all indicative mood sentences, it is a singular pronoun taking the singular verb.  The example that you have exhumed, however, is a use of the subjunctive were used in conditional sentences stating a present condition contrary to fact (the trophy is not in fact the speaker's).  Were appears with all subjects in this type of sentence:


Unfortunately, there are those well-meaning, educated folk who misuse the subjunctive after "if", when a simple indicative is needed:  "I did't know if he were coming or not" is not an example of contrary-to-fact and should be "I didn't know if he was coming or not".  This is quite different from "If he were coming I would bake a cake" (but we know that he isn't coming).
  
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