Usage question - subjunctive mood? (WAS: anyone looking for a writer?)

[Stuart Rogers]

On 2013-Apr-07 11:34 AM, VLM TechSubs wrote:
> I hope this isn’t considered too “off topic”.
>
> Perhaps things have changed as our American English language devolves
> all around us, but … might we not better say “if I WERE looking” rather
> than “if I WAS looking”? That is, is this not an untrue condition or
> wish, therefore correctly expressed in the subjunctive mood?
>
> Serious question … If I’m “behind the curve” here, I’d like to know!


You're correct, formal English calls for the subjunctive.  However, 
informal English no longer does (much), so it becomes a question, as 
John S. said, of who your audience is and what style they expect and are 
comfortable with.

So far in my life, I've found there is more risk of misunderstanding 
from improper or lax language use than from proper or careful use. 
Hence, I still use the subjunctive in speech and writing.

Here's a fairly good discussion of subjunctive vs. indicative, for them 
who are interested ;-)

http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/grammar_subjunctive.html


-- 
Stuart Rogers
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