The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-15
CHAPTER VII.
BY JOSEPHINE


Common Errors OF. the Careless
Speaker
It is the careless speaker VINO says. 4
wish 1 was goirg 10 Europe and. IF l
was going wouff study French" in
stead of the correct forms: Il wish /
were going to Europe and IF L were
going 1 should study French" 1t would
be a better plan for the careless speaker
10 stay ct home and study English. How
ever, many persons Who are not care
less in speech have difficulty in deter
mining when to use ''If [ was" and when
to Use Of / Were" The. essential differ
enee between these two forms is that ''If
1 was expresses a past event about
which there IS certainty, while If 1
Were expire ssea a past. event about which
there is uncertainty. AgR.n, IF l were
| and i Wish4 were with the infinite
form OF some verb, express future event
about which there is uncertainty. So
that If l We're" has not only a doubt
| full past, but a doubtful future as well.
IN order that the mystery enveloped in
this uncertain past and equally uncer-
| tain future may be cleared away the en-
/ ttTe work c1l grammatical construction
in this articla VIII be devoted to the
Proper Use Of If 1 was, "If 1 were"
and i wish I were
tis,si,r,aosa s sEEss:rai,s OF the Careful
SPEAKER.
It is the careful speaker who says, ST
| should have been obliged to have gone.
although i should have found it difficult
10 have done 50, instead of the correct
form, i should have heen obliged to go,
although 1 Should have found it difficult
| to doz@so.' Having introduced all of
these .haves, our careful speaker ex-
Eeriences a feeling. of satisfaction. He
old not err in saying st would have been
Obliged, Eor did. he say II would have
loitnd 1t difficult, instead of Il should
Fave found it difficult" but he found his
Waterloo in H-4A-V-E. One will have no
difficulty IN using the infinite If one will
remember that tho time of the action
recorded by the infinite is not absolute.
nut dependent upon the time of the prin.
cipal. verb Thus, II should have been
Obliged to have gone" is Incorrect be-
cause it is, impossible for a person to
feel obliged to- do something in the mast
L should have found it difficult TO have
done So is incorrect because the diff
Guilty would arise from the speakers at
tempt to GO and not from his having
gone The following rule viii be helpful
IN enabling person to remember when
to use the present infinitive and when to
use the perfect. Rule: When the in
rlnitlVe refers to a tine coincident with
~ al vi etle't VI TIE principal -VerD, the
present Gas, to- be of the verb to bel
should be used. But when the reference
is to time prior to that Indicated by the
principal verb Cor it's equivalent the per-
fect infln1tlve (aS, to have been of the
verb to bel should be used.
Grammatical Construction.
If I was and if 1 were.
PAST TENSE.
First person-If l was IL we were
Second person-If thou vast. If you were.
Third person-lf he was If they were
PAST TENSE (ANoTHER FORND.
First person-If I were If we were.
Second person-If thou vert If you were.
Third person-If he were. If they were.
Note-If we We're if you were and if
they were are the same in both FORMS
consequently it is only necessary to de-
termlne when to use if 1 was, if I were
IL ne was and If he were IF | were"
and II. he We're ,(modern grammarians
regard If / was" and IF he was
past forms of the, indicative mood and
II | were and IF he were'' as past
forms of the subjunctiNe mood are the
proper forms to use when the SUPPOSE
ton of the action or state is merely
thought of.
IF I was" and IF he was are the
proper forms to use when the SUPPOSE
ton Of the notion or state may be re-
garded as D fact.
Were is always used after the express
sion of wish. Examples: I wish 1 were
going with you. / wish he were here
He wishes he were rich.