Introduction
Why does “I was in Bangkok” describe a real past event, but “If I were in Bangkok” imagines a hypothetical? It’s the verb “be” switching between indicative and subjunctive moods! In the indicative mood, “be” uses “am/is/are” (present) or “was/were” (past) for real situations, like “She was at the gym” (singular) or “They were eating burgers” (plural). In the subjunctive mood, used for unreal scenarios in the second conditional, “were” applies to all subjects (e.g., “If I were a chef”). Mastering this, key to my HKCEE Grade A goal from a 2000 E grade, powers clear sentences in your burger, basketball, fitness, or Bangkok stories!
- Indicative Mood (Past Simple): Describes real events in the past.
- Was: For singular subjects I, he, she, it (e.g., “I was in Bangkok last year.”).
- Were: For plural subjects you, we, they (e.g., “They were at the festival.”).
- Note: “you” (singular or plural) uses “were”, which can feel like a plural form, reinforcing your confusion.
- Subjunctive Mood (Second Conditional): Describes unreal or hypothetical situations in the present/future.
- Were: For all subjects (I, he, she, it, you, we, they) in “If” clauses (e.g., “If I were rich,” “If she were in Bangkok”).
- This is why “If I were” was correct in Question 3, not “If I was”, despite “I” using “was” in real past events.
- Why “Were” for Singular in Subjunctive?:
- The subjunctive mood uses “were” for “be” to signal unreality, a historical remnant from Old English. In formal English, especially for exams like HKCEE Syllabus B, “were” is standard for all subjects in second conditionals.
- Informal English often uses “was” for singular subjects (e.g., “If I was rich”), but this is incorrect in formal writing or tests, explaining your instinct that “was” fits “I”.
Clarifying the Rules
- Past Simple Indicative (Real Past Events):
- I, he, she, it: was (e.g., “He was playing basketball.”).
- You, we, they: were (e.g., “We were in Bangkok.”).
- Second Conditional Subjunctive (Unreal Present/Future):
- All subjects: were (e.g., “If I were a chef,” “If they were in Bangkok”).
- Structure: If + subject + past simple (were for be), subject + would/could + base verb.
- Example: “If I were in Bangkok, I would eat burgers.”
- Avoiding Confusion:
- Think of “were” as a signal of unreality in “If” clauses, not just a plural form.
- For real past events, stick to “was” for I, he, she, it and “were” for you, we, they.
- In exams, always use “were” for “If” hypotheticals to score higher (e.g., Grade A vs. E).
Examples with Your Themes
- Indicative (Real Past):
- Burgers: “She was hungry, so she ate a burger.” (singular, was).
- Basketball: “They were practicing basketball yesterday.” (plural, were).
- Fitness: “I was at the gym last night.” (singular, was).
- Bangkok: “We were in Bangkok last summer.” (plural, were).
- Subjunctive (Second Conditional, Hypothetical):
- Burgers: “If I were a chef, I would make tasty burgers.” (singular, were).
- Basketball: “If he were taller, he would play basketball.” (singular, were).
- Fitness: “If we were fitter, we would run faster.” (plural, were).
- Bangkok: “If she were in Bangkok, she would try noodles.” (singular, were).