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 #2 (permalink) Mon May 30, 2005 15:27 pm Subjunctive form |
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This is the subjunctive form or unreal past. It suggests if I should be you.
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Alan
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| #3 (permalink) Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:10 am Subjunctive form |
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If I were you, I should work very hard so that I could earn more money.
Does it mean the second clause can also be real and not only unreal like -- "I would have worked very hard..."?
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 Gray
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| #4 (permalink) Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:51 am Subjunctive form |
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Hi Gray,
The second clause is also in the world of 'unreality' because of course 'I' am not 'you'.
Alan
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| #5 (permalink) Sat Feb 28, 2009 17:53 pm Subjunctive form |
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| Alan wrote: |
Hi Gray,
The second clause is also in the world of 'unreality' because of course 'I' am not 'you'.
Alan |
Hi Alan,
This is always confusing to me because my mother tongue clearly distinguishes between what can be followed after the unreal clause similar in meaning to "if I were you" and what shouldn't.
I have no doubt that "I would have worked very hard" is imaginary but I find it difficult to accept that -- "I should work very hard" connotes an imaginary action.
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Gray
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| #6 (permalink) Sat Feb 28, 2009 20:42 pm Subjunctive form |
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Hi Gray,
It is still only a hypothesis, surely.
Alan
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| #7 (permalink) Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:19 am Subjunctive form |
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| Hello! It is still not clear for me why we use "were" itsteed "was" in this case? When should we use "I were" also? |
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Olgavic
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| #8 (permalink) Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:44 am Subjunctive form |
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Hi,
'Were' in that expression is a subjunctive form. It is a form that is slowly disappearing from the language and only shows a different spelling in the verb 'be'. In other words 'If I had money' is also subjunctive because it is a supposition and not a 'real' statement but you can't tell the difference between 'had' as subjunctive and 'had' as past simple because the spelling is the same. That said, I should add that 'If I was you' is also accepted and becoming popular.
Alan
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| #9 (permalink) Tue Feb 16, 2010 10:17 am Subjunctive form |
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| Thank you very much! |
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Olgavic
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| #10 (permalink) Sun May 02, 2010 14:58 pm Subjunctive form |
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| Alan wrote: |
| This is the subjunctive form or unreal past. It suggests if I should be you. |
very fine and helpful |
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Mirhoman
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| #11 (permalink) Thu Jul 29, 2010 16:31 pm Subjunctive form |
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Hi Alan,
| Quote: |
If I were you, I should work very hard so that I could earn more money.
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Why use "were" not am or was? |
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Kaimun
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| #12 (permalink) Thu Jul 29, 2010 16:35 pm Subjunctive form |
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Hi Kaimun,
Alan answered this question earlier in this thread here: Subjunctive form
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| #13 (permalink) Sat Aug 07, 2010 6:50 am Subjunctive form |
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Hi Alan!
The building of sentence is hardly and I cannot understand why the sentence is not like this one: If I were you, I should work very hard so that I can earn more money. Should work has the same tense like can.
Can you tell me please why?
Best Regards!
Stefan |
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| #14 (permalink) Sat Sep 17, 2011 6:54 am Re: Subjunctive form |
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| This a conditional sentence. When the word Should is in present, Can we use the past form were?[/i] |
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