is/was/were

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Anonymous  #530940  Sun, 22 Jun 08 01:07 PM
Hi there.

Initially, I used "is", but I'm thinking that I should have used "was/were".

"If there IS/WAS/WERE a way of back-dating entries, I might just set a Wordpress account up."

Thanks.

  
Grammar Geek  #530956  Sun, 22 Jun 08 01:58 PM

Use "is" if you think there really is a way, but you just don't know how to do it. "Is" is not contrary to fact.

Use "were" if you think there really is NOT a way to do this, and you know it to be contrary to fact. This is the subjunctive.

Technically, you should not use "was" -- but you're going to hear that more and more as the subjunctive slowly disappears from American English.

  
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Philip  #530997  Sun, 22 Jun 08 02:59 PM
Grammar Geek

Technically, you should not use "was" -- but you're going to hear that more and more as the subjunctive slowly disappears from American English.

We could set up "The Society For the Preservation Of the Use Of the Subjunctive In American English" [SPUSAE].   We could collect $2 annual dues.  I'll volunteer to be treasurer for the first year. (mo) Money>>(ip) Paradise
  
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At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen
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