[Gllug] plurals

[Dylan]

On Thursday 19 June 2003 11:14, t.clarke wrote:
> Most informative and entertaining response !
> I do like a good diversion from shop talk now and again - hence my
> 'provocative' post !!
>
>
> No small wonder that the subtleties of the English language are diffcult to
> master  - the basic rules largely seem to be 'there are no rules' :-)
>
> To diversify yet again, can anyone explain clearly (since we never did
> English grammar at shool), the rule that dictates 'if I were ....'
> as opposed to 'I was....' ?

_Were_ is the last remaining distinctive subjunctive form. Due to the general 
and specific characteristics of the English verb system, only BE and HAVE can 
be used subjunctively, and the form for HAVE is _had_, hence we don't notice 
its use. Basically, "If I were... " and "Were I ..." indicate (unrealised) 
possibility, but the former is rapidly being replaced in general usage by 
_was_.

If I were/was to take the heatsink off the processor, it would burn out.

but

Were/*was I to to take the heatsink off the processor, it would burn out.

(*)= unacceptable.

Dylan


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