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Anonymous Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

I wish he was/were here

Is it grammatically correct to say "I wish Josh was here," or "I wish Josh were here."
  

Top answer

In informal speech, "was" is used, but "were" is more formal. "Were" is the past subjunctive, and "was" is the simple past form of the verb "to be". The subjunctive is used for events that are not certain to happen, which fits with the verb in the sentence, "wish".

— Lakshwadeep

  • In informal speech, "was" is used, but "were" is more formal.
  • "Were" is the past subjunctive, and "was" is the simple past form of the verb "to be".
  • The subjunctive is used for events that are not certain to happen, which fits with the verb in the sentence, "wish".
  • If it was something more certain, like "I know", then "was" would work: I know he was here.
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2 Answers
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In informal speech, "was" is used, but "were" is more formal.

"Were" is the past subjunctive, and "was" is the simple past form of the verb "to be". The subjunctive is used for events that are not certain to happen, which fits with the verb in the sentence, "wish". If it was something more certain, like "I know", then "was" would work: I know he was here.
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I just noticed I used the informal form in my post: "If it was something" instead of "If it were something".
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