was listening to Bill Buckley's late night talk show on the wireless a few weeks back. Now Bill's a stickler for grammar and some debate ensued after he commented on the lyrics to gwen steffani's tune: if I was a rich girl as Bill pointed out, it should be: if I were a rich girl why? and why/how is the other one wrong? grammar is satan's tool I tell thee.
Was is past tense. She is making a reference to being a rich girl "now." At least, that is my take on it.
That is the correct grammatical sentence structure. However, and ain't there always a 'however', the other sentence using "were" has been used so much and by so many that it's also now recognized as correct. English, like many things in life, is not a static issue ...it's ever-changing. Baron Max
Ah, Baron, I think you have things mixed up. I believe the traditional way in English to say the hypothetical is "if I were x". In the olden days "If I was x" would mean more exactly "If in the past I had been x" as opposed "What if now I was x". And it is the "If I was x" which has become colloquial. I may be wrong, but I'm fairly certain of this.
A lot of people aren't sure about this one. It should be 'if I were Queen', not 'if I was Queen', because 'were' is the conditional and 'was' is just the past tense. It makes no sense to say, 'If I was Queen' because I already know whether I was the Queen or not. But I can still speculate about what would happen if I were Queen. http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=60680
Were is for untrue hypotheticals for use with the verb "to be". If I were rich. If she were speeding. If Dan were here we would know what to do. Was is past tense of am. I was rich. She was speeding. Dan wasn't there, so they didn't know what to do.
Here's one... Source Something a little more authoritative... The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. What is "past subjunctive of be"? Entry in The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
"Were" is obviously also plural of was (I was/they were) but that doesn't apply to the scenario mentioned.
Speaking proper English is a mark of respect for the person you're addressing, you tool. But great thread title. Brought a smile to my face.
Thanks, Raven, I appreciate the lesson and the info. I'm not sure how you see name-calling as necessary or even applicable? I simply asked Raven for the very info that he willingly and seemingly happily provided. And which, I might add, even you thanked him for it. Baron Max