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Littlefuryman Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Some questions on the subjunctive

I generally understand the subjunctive mood, yet there are some instances where* I doubt myself. Could someone please tell me whether it should be used here, and articulate why?

If he was / were prepared to play he would have had (or just 'have'?) his uniform on.

You act as if his behavior wasn't / weren't objectionable.

*As an incidental question, could 'where' be used here as a relative pronoun or should I instead use 'in which'?
  

Top answer

If he was / were prepared to play he would have his uniform on. (Conditional II) If he had been prepared to play he would have had his uniform on. (Conditional III) You act as if his behavior wasn't / weren't objectionable.

— Mister Micawber

  • If he was / were prepared to play he would have his uniform on.
  • (Conditional II) If he had been prepared to play he would have had his uniform on.
  • (Conditional III) You act as if his behavior wasn't / weren't objectionable.
  • -- As with the Conditional II above, the indicative 'was' continues to gain acceptance, though careful writing should avoid it .
  • As an incidental question, could 'where' be used here as a relative pronoun or should I instead use 'in which'?
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2 Answers
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If he was / were prepared to play he would have his uniform on. (Conditional II)

If he had been prepared to play he would have had his uniform on. (Conditional III)

You act as if his behavior wasn't / weren't objectionable. -- As with the Conditional II above, the indicative 'was' continues to gain acceptance, though careful writin
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Thanks for the reply; it's always nice to hear from an authoritative voice.
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