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Ahava_yin Posted 20 years ago
Grammar
as if...were/was
Hi,
I came across this sentence,
"The study of placebo opens up new knowledge about the way the human body can heal itself. It is as if there was a doctor in each of us."
My question is in a subjunctive mood, shouldn't the verb "be" take the form "were"? Or both was and were are ok here.
Thank you!
I came across this sentence,
"The study of placebo opens up new knowledge about the way the human body can heal itself. It is as if there was a doctor in each of us."
My question is in a subjunctive mood, shouldn't the verb "be" take the form "were"? Or both was and were are ok here.
Thank you!
Top answer
Some say that was instead of were in that position is the mark of more recent English and that were is the mark of more old-fashioned English. That may be true. I still use were most of the time, occasionally was .
- Some say that was instead of were in that position is the mark of more recent English and that were is the mark of more old-fashioned English.
- That may be true.
- I still use were most of the time, occasionally was .
- You will hear and read was quite often.
- Prescriptive grammars advise were .
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2 Answers
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Some say that was instead of were in that position is the mark of more recent English and that were is the mark of more old-fashioned English. That may be true. I still use were most of the time, occasionally was. You will hear and read was quite often. Prescriptive grammars advise were.
CJ
CJ
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