{"id":3104,"date":"2017-08-21T14:16:34","date_gmt":"2017-08-21T08:46:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commonenglisherrors.com\/?p=3104"},"modified":"2023-08-02T12:51:32","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T07:21:32","slug":"if-i-was-vs-if-i-were","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commonenglisherrors.com\/if-i-was-vs-if-i-were\/","title":{"rendered":"When to Use \u201cIf I was\u201d vs. \u201cIf I were\u201d, Which One is Correct?"},"content":{"rendered":"
A lot of people use \u201cIf I was<\/em>\u201d instead of \u201cIf I were<\/em>\u201d when they use a subjunctive mood in a hypothetical situation.<\/p>\n Just so you know – this is wrong!<\/p>\n According to English rules, when you use a subjunctive mood in a hypothetical situation, you should use \u201cIf I were<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n The subjunctive mood is used in a hypothetical situation when you state something that is contrary to the fact.<\/p>\n In other words, when you wish for something that is simply not possible, or unreal, you use a subjunctive mood.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here are some examples of Subjunctive Mood:<\/p>\n ✅ If I were you, I would work harder.<\/p>\n ✅ If I were your father, I would take good care of you.<\/p>\n ✅ If you were my girlfriend, I\u2019d never let you cry.<\/p>\n ✅ If he were taller, he\u2019d be accepted into the basketball team.<\/p>\n ✅ If she were alive, she\u2019d be super happy to see you succeed.<\/p>\n In all of these examples, the mood is subjunctive, meaning, the speaker is speaking of a hypothetical scenario that simply can\u2019t be true.<\/p>\n Based on the aforementioned argument, it\u2019s possible to use \u201cIf I was<\/em>\u201d when something is not true at the moment, but it can be if the speaker tried.<\/p>\n For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n If I was the captain of this team, we could win more matches.<\/p>\n Explanation: The speaker is a team member at the moment, but it\u2019s very much possible that he could be the caption in future. It\u2019s NOT unrealistic for him to lead the team in future.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s consider a few more examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n ✅ If he was guilty of his actions, he\u2019d apologize.<\/p>\n ✅ If Rand was hardworking, he\u2019d make more money.<\/p>\n As you can see, in these examples, we\u2019re not talking about an unrealistic scenario. Therefore, \u201cwas<\/em>\u201d is more appropriate.<\/p>\n There are many non-native speakers who tend to use \u201cIf I was<\/em>\u201d to explain their past actions.<\/p>\n Please, note that you absolutely cannot use \u201cwas<\/em>\u201d in a hypothetical scenario of the past. Instead, you should use \u201chad been<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n For example:<\/strong><\/p>\n Incorrect<\/strong>: If I was driving, you\u2019d have felt safer.<\/p>\n Correct:<\/strong><\/p>\n If I were driving, you\u2019d feel safer. (If the speaker is talking of the present scenario.<\/em>)<\/p>\n If I had been driving, you\u2019d have felt safer. (If the speaker is talking about a scenario which has passed.<\/em>)<\/p>\n As you can see \u201cIf I were<\/em>\u201d is used only when it\u2019s clear something is simply impossible, e.g., if I were a bird<\/em>. Similarly, \u201cIf I was<\/em>\u201d is used when you presume a fair possibility of an event.<\/p>\n However, in practice, many purists still believe the speaker should stick to \u201cwere<\/em>\u201d if they were speaking of a situation that is currently untrue, e.g., if I were the captain<\/em>.<\/p>\n On the contrary, many modern speakers believe it\u2019s just a matter of choice. If you want to sound formal, use \u201cwere<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A lot of people use \u201cIf I was\u201d instead of \u201cIf I were\u201d when they use a subjunctive mood in a hypothetical situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"viral-post","_genesis_custom_post_class":"viral-post","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is a Subjunctive Mood?<\/h2>\n
Where Can I Use \u201cIf I Was\u201d?<\/h2>\n
Be Careful of the Common Mistakes<\/h2>\n
Final Words<\/h2>\n