Erik Max Francis <max at alcyone.com> writes:
> mark edward hardwidge wrote:
>> > I'm kind of stupid. Could you remind me of exactly when we
> > use "was" and when we use "were"? Some cases are obvious to me, but
> > not all.
>> It's the subjunctive mode, any high school level English text will go
> into detail about. It's for situations that are assumptions,
> hypotheticals, known to be contrary to fact, wishes, recommendations,
> etc.
>> The canonical example is, "If I were a rich man ..."
but the subjunctive use of "were" is _not_ necessarily followed by
"laidle daidle daidle diai-dee dee dee deedle daidle dum."
>> -- Erik Max Francis / max at alcyone.com / http://www.alcyone.com/max/> __ San Jose, CA, US / 37 20 N 121 53 W / ICQ16063900 / &tSftDotIotE
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