Question
Updated on
28 Nov 2022
- Japanese
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English (US)
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English (UK)
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Simplified Chinese (China)
Question about English (US)
What is the difference between If I were a cat, I would take nap all day. and If I was a cat, I would take nap all day. ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
What is the difference between If I were a cat, I would take nap all day. and If I was a cat, I would take nap all day. ?Feel free to just provide example sentences.
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28 Nov 2022
Featured answer
- English (UK)
- English (US)
@Aki_J In this case, that is incorrect. The usage of the word “if” engages the past subjunctive tense in English, which is “were” in all cases. Therefore it is correct to say “if I were, if he were, if they were” etc. However, most native English speakers don’t realise this and use the standard past tense instead, which is why “if I was” is often heard/said. While it is not technically grammatical to say “if I was”, it has become common enough that both versions are now considered standard usage
Highly-rated answerer
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- English (UK)
- English (US)
@Aki_J In this case, that is incorrect. The usage of the word “if” engages the past subjunctive tense in English, which is “were” in all cases. Therefore it is correct to say “if I were, if he were, if they were” etc. However, most native English speakers don’t realise this and use the standard past tense instead, which is why “if I was” is often heard/said. While it is not technically grammatical to say “if I was”, it has become common enough that both versions are now considered standard usage
Highly-rated answerer
- Japanese
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