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Anonymous Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Subjunctive or no?
I go to a party. I see Mona. She looks bored. Someone asks me, "Does Mona like the party?" I reply, "Of course, I do not know, but she looks as [she would look] if she were not enjoying the party." I understand that in 2012, "everyone" would reply, "She looks as if she isn't enjoying the party." / "She looks like she's not enjoying the party."
But -- in theory -- would the subjunctive be "correct"?
Thank you.
But -- in theory -- would the subjunctive be "correct"?
Thank you.
Top answer
" Yes, everyone would say this. The subjunctive "if she were not enjoying the party" means that, in fact, she's enjoying the party, so in my humble opinion, you would have to resort to using something like Of course, I don't know, but if she were enjoying the party, she wouldn't look so bored, would she?
- " Yes, everyone would say this.
- The subjunctive "if she were not enjoying the party" means that, in fact, she's enjoying the party, so in my humble opinion, you would have to resort to using something like Of course, I don't know, but if she were enjoying the party, she wouldn't look so bored, would she?
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3 Answers
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"She looks as if she isn't enjoying the party." / "She looks like she's not enjoying the party."
Yes, everyone would say this.
The subjunctive "if she were not enjoying the party" means that, in fact, she's enjoying the party, so in my humble opinion, you would have to resort to using something like
Of course, I don't know, but if she were enjoying the party, sh
Yes, everyone would say this.
The subjunctive "if she were not enjoying the party" means that, in fact, she's enjoying the party, so in my humble opinion, you would have to resort to using something like
Of course, I don't know, but if she were enjoying the party, sh
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No. The "if" does not have the force necessary; it is more like "though". It's different from "If she were/was enjoying the party, she would look happy." The subjunctive would be correct there but optional, at least in American English. Your sentence is more like "She looks the way she looks when she is not enjoying a party." There is nothing contrary to fact there.
The present subjunctiv
The present subjunctiv
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