Understanding the correct usage of “if there were” relies on grasping a grammar concept known as subjunctive mood. This is often brought into play for expressions involving wishes, demands, expressing necessity or making statements contrary to reality.
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood is used to describe “contrary to fact” statements or hypothetical scenarios. If there were falls into this category as it is typically used to express a hypothetical situation. A classic example is “If he were taller, he could reach the shelf”; clearly, the person isn’t taller, but the statement shows what could be possible if that were the case.
Indicative Mood
On the other hand, “if it was” is used in the indicative mood. This mood reflects statements of possible or actual, factual scenarios. “If he was honest, you’ll get your money back” illustrates this, as honesty could be a real characteristic of the person in question.
Existential There
An interesting interaction occurs with existential there. This refers to sentences where “there” opens the statement, such as “There was a man spying on you.” In these instances, despite the seemingly tricky construction, the rule still applies: “there was” becomes “there were” in subjunctive situations.
The Role of Verb Tenses
Past and present tense also have roles in these statements. The subjunctive mood affects the verb “be” in the past tense by replacing “was” with “were.” Meanwhile, for the present tense, the subjunctive applies to all verbs and is formed by switching the conjugated verb with the base form.
Subjunctive Mood and There
Then, there’s the question of whether having “there” as the subject impacts the use of the subjunctive at all. The short answer is no: the subject “there” does not affect the rule concerning the verb. The existential “there” doesn’t introduce any unique rules when it comes to the subjunctive mood.
Conclusions
In conclusion, when discussing hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situations, “if there were” is the correct phrase to use. However, when discussing past factual situations or conditions, “if there was” is more appropriate. All things considered, understanding the usage of these phrases is largely a matter of distinguishing between the subjunctive and indicative moods. Moreover, the existence of the subjective “there” in the sentence doesn’t break these rules or call for any exceptional grammatical measures. Thus, while it might initially seem complicated, applying these guidelines and rules can clarify when to use “if there were” correctly and effectively.