Can a grammar wizard help me?

[pat]

When I write or speak, I keep finding myself saying "If I were..." or "If he were..." Intellectually, I keep thinking those should be "was", since the verb is singular. (Interestingly enough, I am less likely to use "were" if there is a noun rather than a pronoun in the sentence.)

I'm trying to figure out why I do this. Is there some sort of, I don't know, speculative verb tense?

Comments

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

subjunctive

[patgreene.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Interestingly enough, I learned more formal grammar when I took Latin (which I have forgotten since it's been twenty years since I used it) than I ever learned for English.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

You're just saying that to get me hot.

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

I was told to talk geography in order to get you hot.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Proper use of the subjunctive mood, and knowing its name, really works for me. I'm not in grammargasm for nothing. ;)

[tenacious-snail.livejournal.com]

(adds additional information to the "how to get Mary hot file", to store in case the information is ever needed.)