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Past subjunctive

The Past Subjunctive is conveniently called the were-subjunctive, since it survives as a distinguishable form only in the past tense of the verb “be”.

Whereas the indicative form shows a contrast between was (1,2 p s) and were (pland 2 p past simple), the subjunctive is invariably “were” and hence is a form distinct from the indicative only in the 1^st and 3^rd persons singular.

If I / he/ she was leaving, you would have heard about it (ind)

If I/ he/ she were leaving… (s)

With all verbs except “be” the verb phrase is made negative by placing “not” before the subject form. In the case of “be” “not” may be placed either before or after the verb.

It is essential that this mission not fail.

It is essential that this mission does not fail.

The Senate has decreed that such students be not exempt from college dues.

Not be

The were-subjunctive or past subj is hypothetical or unreal in meaning, being used in adverbial clauses introduced by such conj as if, as if, as though, though, and in nominal clauses after verbs like wish and suppose. The subj is limited to the one form were and thus breaks the concord rule of the ind verb be in the 1^st and 3^rd persons singular of the past tense. The ind form was is substituted in less formal styles

If I were/was rich I would buy you anything you wanted.

Tim always speaks quietly on the phone as though he were/was telling a secret.

I wish the journey were/was over.

Just suppose everyone were/was to give up smoking and drinking.

The were-subj may be regarded as something of a fossil but it is still in common use.

As it were

If I were you

Some linguists believe that the past subjunctive exists only in were in all persons

Other scholars believe that the past subjunctive has exactly the same form as the simple past except that with the verb be the past subjunctive form is either was or were in all persons. In expression of doubt or unreality were is more usual than was

were is used in all persons in formal English. However it is more common to use was/were in their usual ways.

But Were is used in the phrase If I were you and in formal conditional patterns were + subject +infinitive

Were he to come here I would leave.

We use the past subjunctive to discuss imaginary situations, to express impossible wishes and to make proposals and polite requests, to talk about impossible, unlikely or hypothetical conditions, to indicate unreality or improbability or doubt in the present. Note that although the verb has a past form reference is to the present or the future.

Unreal past tenses like the past subjunctive are used to talk about impossible, unlikely or hypothetical situations.