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by CACTUS on August 9th, 2004

CACTUS

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Which is correct, "as if it was" or "as if it were"?

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  • by Too Much Time On My Hands on August 24th, 2004

    Too Much Time On My Hands

    Please indulge the linguist in me for a second... :) There are two points of view here:

    PRESCRIPTIVISM: Kim's answer is correct. The grammatical rule is that you need the imperfect subjunctive "as if it were" in what is called a "contrary to fact" condition... if you say "as if it were," you are implying that "it" wasn't. If you're writing in an academic/professional setting, you should use this form. Many people will consider "as if it was" to be incorrect.

    DESCRIPTIVISM: There are some who will say that enough people now use "as if it was" that it has become an acceptable alternative. We don't speak and write English the way people did 500 years ago, do we? When a widespread change occurs in a language, the new form should be allowed. It's easier to follow this route when you know your words aren't going to be judged by a teacher/boss/etc.!

    Ultimately, the choice is yours... Are you a prescriptivist or a descriptivist? Or both, depending on the situation?

    Comments

    • I think Prescriptivism and Descriptivism also vary from language to language. English is mostly a prescriptive language. You are to follow the rules until the rule makers decide it has changed or that an alternative is acceptable. French is much the same.

      Spanish is much more desriptive. They aren't as much sticklers to the rules.

      Additionally, I think grammarians are always going to be prescriptive, while an anthropologist is going to be more descriptive. A grammarian is going to tell you how it should be, an anthorpologist or sociologist is going to tell you how it really is.

      scubaduba

      by scubaduba on May 25th, 2007

    • Just because we don't speak as we did 500 years ago doesn't mean that the "new form" is correct. Grammar is grammar... and ignorance is just dumb.

      metamorphoseon

      by metamorphoseon on November 27th, 2010

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