What is the correct use of was/were in the English subjunctive case? Specifically ...?

Question

Which is correct and why? ...

"If I WAS rich, I would buy a new house."
or
"If I WERE rich, I would buy a new house."

Answer 1

when you are using the second conditional or past conditional the rule says you have to use "were" with all the subject pronouns.
If I were rich I wouldn't be a teacher! lol

Answer 2

The SECOND statement is correct, since it is a conditional or potential state.

This will help clear it up - You aren't rich; but if you were rich, you would buy the house. You would never say, "you aren't rich, but if you was rich . . ."

Answer 3

i exploit it wisely yet purely because of the fact I had an incredibly strict grammar college preparation in the early Nineteen Sixties - after that, it looked as though it may vanish. suggestions you, the subjunctive in English became uncomplicated whilst in comparison with its use in French! I nonetheless use the gerund - 'Does his going away project you?' as an occasion. maximum folk could say 'Does him going away ...' and so on. I had those issues drummed into me. I had to bypass to the front of the class and be taught the sentence on the blackboard and parse it - each and every thing of speech, each and every stressful, the foremost clause, and so on and so on. my very own infants in the 70s and 80s had no such coaching so as that they learnt it at homestead. i think of it truly is whilst maximum of issues replaced - purely after 1970. Spontaneity became greater significant. yet look at issues now - countless adolescents have hardly any thought of the thank you to write down a letter, a CV - and spelling and grammar are very almost lifeless. Very unhappy. I as quickly as placed an advert into an area newspaper, offering training in spelling, punctuation and grammar, and the reaction became massive, especially from mom and dad who have been worried relating to the undesirable widespread of English coaching in secondary faculties. That tells its very own tale.

Answer 4

Usually "were" is used when it is known it is something which could never happen...and will remain a WISH, or it is IMPOSSIBLE to get it...

For instance,

You cannot say "If I was a king"
It has to be "If I were a king" because I know I will never be a king..

Likewise, it cannot be said " If I was in your shoes"
It has to be "If I were in your shoes" because I will never be in one's paricular situation at that very moment, so it is impossible for me to be in his place / in his shoes...

BUT

Since it is possible to be rich one of these days, which is an attainable situation; even if it was subject to mere luck in this case; i.e., winning a Lottery, inheriting a bulk of money or something like that, then One Can Say:

"If I was rich, I would buy a house"

and it shouldn't be

"If I were rich", I would buy a house

Meanwhile,

One should say :

"If I were as rich as Bill Gate"

where as it cannot be said:

"If I was as rich as Bill Gate"....

REASON, POSSIBILITY AND THE IMPOSSIBLE BEHIND THE MEANING WILL ENTITLE YOU TO USE "WAS" OR "WERE"

ACCORDINGLY,

I wish I "was" selected as the best answer... is OK... where as
I wish I "were" rated the best answer is wrong

Because the Gentleman behind this Question could select me for the Best Answer, so it is possibe, therefore "WAS" is applicable, but "were" is not applicable...

Answer 5

Let me put it simply:

The correct use of the subjunctive is 'were', when applied to "I" or "he" or "she".
If I were a rich man...
If he were taller, he could...
If she were smarter, she would...

The subjunctive for "you" "we" and "they" is also 'were' (which is the same as the past tense).
.

Answer 6

it is if i WERE rich...

however this usage is changing and it is uncommon.
even on TV you will hear people use the incorrect word
in subjunctive case...

it's also

if i were thin
if i were happy
if i were a taller woman

i wish i were taller
i wish i were smarter
i wish i were doing something more productive than yahoo answers.

Answer 7

Ok,I will answer with my poor knowledge,because of my not being a native english speaker.
I know that the correct tense use is "If I was rich"
The only case I've seen If I "were" is when you say "If I were you"!!!
"Ehsabanat u were so explicative.U really solved a question of mine too."
So If I were 5solas I would certainly choose you as the best answer!!!

Answer 8

If I were a rich man.

Answer 9

Your first statement is correct, If you are not sure then check your english grammer book.