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Jackson6612 Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

I believe the definition would make perfect sense even if the for is/was

Is the following sentence correct?

I believe the definition would make perfect sense even if the for is/was left out.
  

Top answer

Both are OK. But I prefer 'were'.

— Mister Micawber

  • Both are OK.
  • But I prefer 'were'.
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6 Answers
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Both are OK.

But I prefer 'were'.
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Mister MicawberBoth are OK.

But I prefer 'were'.

Hi Mr. Micawber,

What makes you to prefer were over is/was?
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Because I am a grammarian: the definition would ... if the 'for' were...
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1: Perhaps it's because I'm expressing my thought in the sentence:


I believe the definition would make perfect sense even if the for is/was left out.


Therefore, were would be a better choice to express subjunctive mood. Right
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In such cases you use "were" instead of "was", even in the first person singular.

"If I were you..." is a typical example of this.
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