This was covered to some extent here about a month ago, but since then I’ve seen numerous thread titles where it should have been used and it was not. I’m not normally a grammar Nazi and I think it’s likely that before much longer, the rule will change to reflect common usage. However in the meantime, not using it when it is required is as much a faux pas as farting during a meeting or using your tie as a napkin.
I’ve gotten used to it and almost never criticize anyone for this error, but I’m always torn because I know how bad it looks (sounds). Even so, I restrain myself as I’ve learned one lesson repeatedly and well - no good deed goes unpunished. This post is the rare exception and is offered mainly in penance for those numerous sins of omission.
The main point to try to learn is regarding the appropriate form when using the past tense of the verb to be, i.e., ‘was’. There is a lot more to the rule and honestly, I doubt that I would pass a test on the subject. But this is the most egregious example and if you can get the hang of this one, virtually no one will crucify you for being a bit off on the rest.
Grammar girl has a very good and succinct exposition here with several helpful examples. Basically, if you want to say ‘I was at the park’, then ‘was’ is the appropriate form. If you want to say ‘I wish I were at the park’, then ‘were’ is the appropriate form. You DO NOT EVER want to say ‘I wish I WAS at the park.’ The effect on a more sensitive ear is similar to fingernails on a . . . I can’t even say it.
The quick and dirty rule I learned is that if you are expressing a conditional, hypothetical, wish or desire, then use the subjunctive (were), otherwise, use the indicative (was).
Best of luck to you on your hopeless crusade. I find that you want to use the carbon-steel or new titanium lances when tilting at windmills, the old wooden ones are just too flimsy.
Oh, god, I’m glad that “If I Was Invisible” song is no longer popular. Most people hated it because it was dumb and creepy; I hated it for the grammar.
I’ve talked to English majors about this. Using was in the subjective mood is already popular enough that it is considered proper English.
And I’ve yet to see anyone use a distinct present subjunctive, despite all this clamoring for the past subjunctive. I even pointed this out once in one of these threads. If you be interested, look it up.
I did note that the rule is so universally ignored in common usage that it is probably moribund. However some forms are still important enough that you will appear uneducated if you do not use them properly - this happens to be one. If someone changes the rules tomorrow though, I will certainly be able to get over it.
Well I just consider it a misnomer to call hypothetical conditions “the subjunctive,” for exactly what you imply above. Really, a construction such as If I were a rich man should just be referred to as “a hypothetical condition,” because you use a past form to indicate that something is contrary to fact. Whether someone uses was or were doesn’t concern me so much, since be is the only verb that has more than one past form. I can live with that, just as I can live with someone who knocks on the door and says, “It’s me,” rather than, “It’s I.”
But to make your point more clearly, some better examples of the subjunctive mood in English are:
The judge ordered that the defendant be taken into custody. I’m strongly urging that my sister give up smoking immediately. I’d rather he not do that.
Be, give up, and do, as used above, are actually what “subjunctive” refers to, but even Marianne Celce-Murcia uses the term to refer to what the OP is upset about.
Do you think there are some official rules the English language follows? The rules are determined by how people speak. If the majority of people don’t follow a “rule”, it’s the rule that’s wrong, not the people.
Aside from the problem of determining for certain what forms most people use, I don’t think grammatical rules do or even should reflect the usage of the majority of speakers.
There has to be some level of consistency or you end up developing countless dialects that serve no purpose except to reflect the aesthetic preferences of the groups that adopt them.
I make no judgments about whether or not using the subjunctive in the case of was/were is or is not pointless historical relic. My only point is that you have to be cognizant of how your decision to either flout or follow the rules makes you appear to others. If you are speaking a social function of your peers and no one will notice, that’s fine. But if you are speaking to the board of directors of a major corporation, it would be wise to use it appropriately.
Yeah… I hate it when people don’t know the difference, or how to use it properly, but I don’t want to go correcting people. I don’t want to be the grammar police or the language snob. I still HATE hearing people epically fail with the subjunctive.
So, what do you mean by “if the rule changes”? There is no official standard of what “the rule” is. I’m sure someone, somewhere has already declared the subjunctive defunct. And I’m sure that if it’s ever the case that hardly anyone ever uses the subjunctive, and those that do use it incorrectly half the time (like whom today), there will still be some people who consider it to somehow be more correct.
And you’re right, you should talk how the people you’re talking to will best understand you. If you’re talking to people who consider “If I was…” as bad a mistake as “I is…”, then you shouldn’t say that.
