# I wish I were going, too...or was?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-were-going-too-or-was/27655
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 1, 2000, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-were-going-too-or-was/27655 "2000-08-01T03:15:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2000, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-were-going-too-or-was/27655/1 "2000-08-01T03:15:28Z")

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Marge: The national grammar rodeo? I wish I were going. Oh, wait, wait; I wish I _was_ going. Is that right, Bart?

Bart: I dunno.

So, which is it?

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### Author: ![Spider\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2000, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-were-going-too-or-was/27655/2 "2000-08-01T03:22:02Z")

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I think were is correct in this case.

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### Author: ![Dumb\_Ox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dumb\_Ox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dumb_Ox)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2000, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-wish-i-were-going-too-or-was/27655/3 "2000-08-01T03:54:52Z")

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You have entered the dark underworld of the subjunctive mood. My understanding is that, in English, the subjunctive is reserved for contrary-to-fact statements of desire—in this case, a wish. Marge is wishing for something that will not happen, so she should use the past subjunctive: “I wish I **were** going.”

There are three other moods in English: the indicative, imperative, and conditional. But I don’t understand the nuances of each well enough to explain them.