By Subjunctives, Past simple

There's some truth in that article. My parents, for instance, used to speak in Sardinian (not a dialect, but recognised as an endangered language by the UNESCO) when talking to each other or to their relatives, but they would only speak Italian with my brother and me. I grew up monolingual,...

Goodman wrote: Yoong Liat wrote: Goodman wrote: Hi Guys, It’s raining buckets and you have a BBQ planned in your back yard. You’d say “I wish It weren’t raining…” This is subjunctive, not indicative; so “was” is incorrect although it’s frequently misused I wish it weren’t raining.I wish it...

Yoong Liat wrote: Goodman wrote: Hi Guys, It’s raining buckets and you have a BBQ planned in your back yard. You’d say “I wish It weren’t raining…” This is subjunctive, not indicative; so “was” is incorrect although it’s frequently misused I wish it weren’t raining.I wish it wasn’t...

Mister Micawber wrote:Future Simple (I will sit)Future Continuous/Progressive (I will be sitting)Future Perfect (I will have sat")Present Simple (I sit)Past Simple (I sat)Past Continuous/Progressive (I was sitting)Past Perfect (I had sat)Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive (I had been...

Future Simple (I will sit)Future Continuous/Progressive (I will be sitting)Future Perfect (I will have sat")Present Simple (I sit)Past Simple (I sat)Past Continuous/Progressive (I was sitting)Past Perfect (I had sat)Past Perfect Continuous/Progressive (I had been sitting)Any I've missed? -- See...

I wish I were rich Correct use of the subjunctive in the second conditional I wish I was rich Informal spoken using the Past Simple instead of the subjunctive. Sometimes frowned on by some English testing services and teachers, but acceptable in reality... I wish I have a car. Wrong. I...

If it comes from the CGEL then how can it be a hypercorrection? I don't understand why you would see it as incorrect simply because it doesn't express the hypothetical/counterfactual. Ok, take MrP's example: If he ate less cake, it would be because he didn't want to get more fat. Would you...

CalifJim wrote: I avoid answering ... You just did " src="../emoticons/emotion-2.gif">Avoid or answer? I tried responding to the phrasal verb thread and got into some technical difficulties. For some reason, it wouldn't let me post. And then I just forgot about it and never tried again as I...

1. 'If only she would contact me'. This sentence uses 'if' but there's only one clause so what type of sentence is this? You wouldn't call it a conditional, would you? 2. The above sentence is about a wish and therefore we don't use 'will'. Also, in other such sentences we use the simple past to...

I know the answer is (c), however, I don't know the reason why. The example is neither the past subjunctive or the second conditional, which are the only two forms that I know of where we use the past simple to refer to the present or the future.