Difference between 'If I were' & 'I was'

Question

HiWhy do we use 'were' for 'If I were rich' but 'was' for 'I was there yesterday'? Is it because of the 'if'?Thank you!

Tanit · Accepted Answer

Hi,

"I was there yesterday": this is a fact, and the verb is in the indicative mood (past simple tense: I was, you were, he/she/it was, we/you/they were).

"If I were rich (I would quit my job and travel all over the world)": this is not a fact -- it's counterfactual (as I am not rich, I cannot leave my job! Sigh!), and the verb is in the subjunctive mood (past tense: I were, you were, he/she/it were, we/you/they were). From a grammatical point of view, this is a second conditional.

So, in short, we use "were" because the "if" introduces a contrary-to-fact statement (i.e., I am not rich!

).

If you are ready for a longer and more detailed answer, here it is!

According to traditional rules, you use the subjunctive to describe an occurrence that you have presupposed to be contrary to fact: if I were ten years younger, if America were still a British Colony. The verb in the main clause of these sentences must then contain the verb would or (less frequently) should: If I were ten years younger, I would consider entering the marathon. If America were still a British colony, we would all be drinking tea in the afternoon. When the situation described by the if clause is not presupposed to be false, however, that clause must contain an indicative verb. The form of verb in the main clause will depend on your intended meaning: If Hamlet was really written by Marlowe, as many have argued, then we have underestimated Marlowe’s genius. If Kevin was out all day, then it makes sense that he couldn’t answer the phone.
Remember, just because the modal verb would appears in the main clause, this doesn’t mean that the verb in the if clause must be in the subjunctive if the content of that clause is not presupposed to be false: If I was (not were) to accept their offer—which I’m still considering—I would have to start the new job on May 2. He would always call her from the office if he was (not were) going to be late for dinner.

(source)

Tanit · Answer

I forgot to add some links to threads you might find useful.

ChekoD · Answer

Because in the first example you are using the unreal conditional.

Anonymous · Answer

Hello

I would like to know also.

Huevos · Answer

AnonymousIs it because of the 'if'?

No, it's because it is subjunctive. For example: "If I was rude I am sorry" is correct, and, "If I were rude I am sorry" is nonsense because "was" refers to a real event, not a hypothesis.

Difference between 'If I were' & 'I was'

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