If this looks a little odd, remember that these constructions are often accompanied by a word like if, as if, and though. Were is always correct in the past subjunctive: The answer all depends on two factors: 1) is your verb using first, second, or third person? And, 2) is your verb in past indicative or past subjunctive tense? Past indicative is used for ordinary objective statements or questions, and past subjunctive is used for imaginary or hypothetical statements or questions. Much of the confusion lies in when to use was versus were, which are the past tense forms of to be. Is this sentence correct? Or should If she was switch to the phrase If she were? Was vs. You might find yourself puzzling out a sentence such as: If she was unhappy, she should have said so. I am, you are, he was, they were-the forms of the verb to be, among many other things, are messy in English. On a less existential note, there’s the question of how to use to be in the grammatically correct way. There are plenty of questions associated with the verb to be.
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