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As you know, we use:
I.............................
She ........................
He .......................... Was
It ...........................
You ..........................
They.......................... Were
***************************
This is the main rule, and the H.V in both is in the past. I'm not asking about the case above. I'm asking specifically about inserting (IF) behind all of those pronouns, what I learned and usually use is that if there is (IF), the helping verb will be "were" in all cases regardless of whether the pronoun was singular or plural.
So I tend to say:
-If I were there,
-If she/he/it were there
-As if it were there
-If that were the case
***************************
But I've frequently noticed that many posters in this forum use "was" AFTER (IF) when the pronoun is singular, and also use "were" after (IF) in other times when the pronoun is singular; they use both cases. Accruing to me, it's a little bit confusing as if it were used randomly. At the beginning, I would think about it it as a common mistake, but when I noticed this also used in the formal articles/newspapers that I read from the links here, it makes me think about something wrong in my understanding or may be there is a measurement in using it.
I googled it and found answers that improve the rule I know, and other answers that accept using both, but I still didn't figure out the measurement in using both.
These are some examples from the posters' comments (I edited some of them because they speak about some actual incidents & persons, it's inappropriate_in my view _to use them literally)
Ex:
-It's possible, but really unusual, especially if she wasn't known for rages.
-If this was the case of 1 year old boy.....
-If he was pretending they were at home, then ...
- I`m still wondering if it was her/his domination, that ....
- There was not a scratch on him if there was ever a fight from them
-If that story was the truth, how would...... ?
-You wonder if someone wasn't setting them up.
- If I/she/he/it was there
- If I/you/they/she/he/it were there
- If that was the case,
My questions:
* Which one is the correct usage?
* What's the measurement in using it ? I mean, how do I know that I need to use "was" in this case and "were" in that case (when it comes with IF)?
You use were when using it to describe something that will not happen.
You would use was to describe something that did or probably did happen.
But read the link for a better explanation.
You provided a perfect clarification, I think it's clear. Actually, I read your comment & I read what mentioned in the link. when I think about both I found that your comment needs completing ( I might be wrong).
According to the rule mentioned in the link:
__________________________________________________ _____________________________________ *Use were (instead of was) in statements that are contrary to fact.
*Use was in statements that are not contrary to fact.
__________________________________________________ _____________________________________
According to what I understood, using were is not only to describe something WILL not happen but it could be:
-In something will never happen. OR
-Didn't happen at the time of speaking ; but it could happen later in future.
For example:
If I were you ......... This is impossible to be (So, use were)
But
If I were there (place, some cities/countries as example)......... At the time of speaking, I wasn't there; So it's contrary to fact (So, I used were), but it's not impossible to be in future; I could be there.
Yes, always use were when giving a conditional statement or using the subjunctive mood.
If I were there, this would not have happened.
If I were to mix chemical A with chemical B, what would my reaction be?
Is this controversial rule?
Did you read the rule that mentioned in the link, according to it, it tells us when we can use "was" after "if"(conditional statement). Now, I need to listen to you, or what mentioned in the link, or it's up to me
Alot of people probably don't as well, but I could care less about them.
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