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[sprsk]

＿|￣|○ says (23:43):
After if and wish, you can use were instead of was (if i were/ i wish it were etc.). So you can say:
If i were you, i wouldnt buy that coat. or If i was you...
I'd go out if it werent raining. or ...if it wasnt raining.
I wish it were possible. or I wish it was possible.


from an american english grammar book.

so my question is

if i were you... if i was you...

if this is correct why can i use were or was for the same meaning?


if this is totally wrong can you offer proof otherwise?

 

[monchi-kun]

was - past tense of is
were - past tense of are

so it's ...if i was you...

personally i like IF I IS YOUZ!!!

 

[iapetus]

From another US English grammar book:

if clauses—the traditional rules.

According to traditional rules, you use the subjunctive to describe an occurrence that you have presupposed to be contrary to fact: if I were ten years younger, if America were still a British Colony. The verb in the main clause of these sentences must then contain the verb would or (less frequently) should: If I were ten years younger, I would consider entering the marathon. If America were still a British colony, we would all be drinking tea in the afternoon. When the situation described by the if clause is not presupposed to be false, however, that clause must contain an indicative verb. The form of verb in the main clause will depend on your intended meaning: If Hamlet was really written by Marlowe, as many have argued, then we have underestimated Marlowe’s genius. If Kevin was out all day, then it makes sense that he couldn’t answer the phone.

For the record, this clearly shows that America is still a British colony.

 

[iapetus]

was - past tense of is
were - past tense of are

so it's ...if i was you...

personally i like IF I IS YOUZ!!!

If I were less cynical, I'd assume you didn't mean any of that.

 

[impirius]

Okay, I just came up with a craaaazy theory

First person: I was
Second person: You were

So when I'm saying "If I were you", I use the second person form of the verb "to be" to reinforce the concept. It's like grammatical role-playing. WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAA BLOW YOUR MIND

Spoiler

Yeah, I always say "If I was you".

 

[sprsk]

From another US English grammar book:



For the record, this clearly shows that America is still a British colony.

hmm so youre saying the sentence

"if i were you, i wouldnt buy that coat"
"if i was you, i wouldnt buy that coat"

the second sentence is incorrect? or is it? or are they both right? is this some weird exception?

 

[iapetus]

Okay, I just came up with a craaaazy and entirely wrong theory

.

 

[Blackace]

when I speak I often say "If I were you, I wouldn't have.." so something that already happened... and "If I was you, I would...." for a suggestion or whatnot.. doesn't make it correct...

 

[sprsk]

when I speak I often say "If I were you, I wouldn't have.." so something that already happened... and "If I was you, I would...." for a suggestion or whatnot.. doesn't make it correct...

yeah i dunno it sounds like a rule that was formed through people using it in every day conversation.

im trying to make sense of this to my fiance but im no english scholar.

 

[iapetus]

hmm so youre saying the sentence

"if i were you, i wouldnt buy that coat"
"if i was you, i wouldnt buy that coat"

the second sentence is incorrect? or is it? or are they both right? is this some weird exception?

By the traditional rules of grammar, the second sentence is incorrect. You'll find it commonly used because most native English speakers wouldn't know what a subjunctive was if it were to kick them in the teeth.

 

[Blackace]

yeah i dunno it sounds like a rule that was formed through people using it in every day conversation.

im trying to make sense of this to my fiance but im no english scholar.

well both are used. so what more can you explain?

 

[sprsk]

well both are used. so what more can you explain?

＿|￣|○ says (23:47):
i know either way is fine because it says so, but i dont know why either one is fine
＿|￣|○ says (23:47):
because i learned was is is and am's past and were is are's past

 

[impirius]

.

Oh thank goodness you cleared that up; I thought some fuddy-duddy would take it seriously!

 

[iapetus]

＿|￣|○ says (23:47):
i know either way is fine because it says so, but i dont know why either one is fine
＿|￣|○ says (23:47):
because i learned was is is and am's past and were is are's past

English has had a subjunctive mood since Old English times, but most of the functions of the old subjunctive have been taken over by auxiliary verbs like may and should, and the subjunctive survives only in very limited situations. It has a present and past form. The present form is identical to the base form of the verb, so you only notice it in the third person singular, which has no final -s, and in the case of the verb be, which has the form be instead of am, is, and are. The past subjunctive is identical with the past tense except in the case of the verb be, which uses were for all persons: If I were rich …, If he were rich …, If they were rich…

＿|￣|○ is right for the indicative mood, but 'were' here is subjunctive, and as such has the form described above.

And why does your fiancee (I assume you mean this rather than fiance, unless I missed something a while back...) have a name consisting entirely of punctuation?

 

[sprsk]

＿|￣|○ is right for the indicative mood, but 'were' here is subjunctive, and as such has the form described above.

And why does your fiancee (I assume you mean this rather than fiance, unless I missed something a while back...) have a name consisting entirely of punctuation?

its ascii art depicting someone on all fours, generally meaning they feel defeated. And no i just had no idea fiancee had two E's.

 

[Blackace]

for the record iapetus is correct

 

[iapetus]

its ascii art depicting someone on all fours, generally meaning they feel defeated. And no i just had no idea fiancee had two E's.

It can have either one or two. With one, they're male. With two they're female.

 

[sprsk]

looking at dictionary.com's definition of fiance, boy im glad most people dont know the difference between fiance and fiancee

 

[Batmonk]

I don't know why we stopped using "Betrothed" and started speaking french...

And yes, "If I were you" is the correct use, because you are referring to the other person.

If I were you.
If I was me.

 

[Fallofmart]

"If I were you..." Sounds far far better. In England I hear more people saying it that way, it tends to be people who don't speak as well who say "If I was you..."

 

[MetalAlien]

The perfect solution to this is to not care.

 

[iapetus]

Oh thank goodness you cleared that up; I thought some fuddy-duddy would take it seriously!

It's best to clear these things up just in case someone takes it seriously.

And yes, "If I were you" is the correct use, because you are referring to the other person.

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