You use the subjunctive mood when you're talking about situations that aren't real. All of the following sentences are in the subjunctive mood:
· If I were rich, I would buy a flying car.
· He acts as if he were the one behind the wheel.
· If she were prettier, he might be interested in her.
Notice that all of these use the word were instead of was even though was is usually standard when the subject of a sentence is singular. Keep in mind that while the if/were construction is considered standard for the subjunctive mood, some people believe that if/was is also correct. For example, some experts might not balk at the sentence If I was rich, I would buy a flying car. But if you really want to stay on the safe side of the debate, always use were in the subjunctive mood.
The presence of the word if usually indicates a subjunctive sentence, but wish can also let you know that you've wandered into the realm of were. For example, I wish I were rich is considered to be more correct than I wish I was rich.
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Things Every Writer Should Know (but Most Don't)
Non-FictionYou have a wonderful idea for a story, and that is fantastic! But how can you make sure that poor mechanics don't distract your writers from your message? I address some of the most common errors in writing and tell you how to fix them.
