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

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

"If I were a rich man"
deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle

which of course isn't very plausible given that I'm a woman.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Heh. That's always the first line that occurs to me when I think of the subjunctive.