The Saint Paul globe., 1901-12-15
CHAPTER VIZ.

-H1Eh- y kAs
Common Errors CT the C.relcss
Speaker
1t is the careless speaker VINO says, 4
wish l was goiEg 10 Europe, and. IF |
was going L woislsf study French, in
stead of the correct forms: 7 wish 1
were going to Europe, and IF were
going should study French" 1t would
be better plan for the careless speaker
TO stay at home and study English. How
ever, many persons who are not care
less in speech have difficulty in deter
mining when to use .sIf was and when
to Use IF Iswere." The. essential differ
enee between these two forms is that .:If
| was expresses a past event about
which there IS certainty, while If 1
were expire sses a past event about which
there is uncertainty. Ags.a, IF / were
and j WislfgI were with the infinite
|. form OF some verb, express a future event
about which there is uncertainty So
| that If I We're has not cnly a doubt
ful- past, but a doubtful. future as well.
! In order that the mystery senveIoped in
| this uncertain past and equally uncer-
tain future may be cleared away the en-
tire work en- g.sanlrrle tical construction
in this article viii be devoted to the
! Proper use Of ssIf I was, - s.If were
an 81 wish 7 were
Hs tis,si,1 sssa :i rass OF the Careful
~ speaker.
1t is the careful speaker who SAYS. 81
should have. been Obliged to have gone,
although I should have found it difficult
to have done 50, Instead of the correct
form, 4 should have been obliged to go,
although / should have found it difficult
to dose. Having introduced all of
these Eshaves,'.. our CAREFUL speaker ex-
Eer1ences feeling of satisfaction He
old not err IN say ying 2 would have been
obliged, Eor did he say ST would have
ioisnd 1t difficult. instead of Il should
have found it difficult, but he found his
Waterloo in HAN E. One will have no
elfficufty IN using the infinite If one will
remember that tho time OF the action
recorded by the infinite is not absolute.
but dependent upon the TINA of the prin.
cipals verb. Thus, Il should have been
opHgeds to have gone" is incorrect be-
| cause it is impossible for person to
feel Obliged to do something in the past.
Il 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 will be helpful
IN enabling person to remember when
to use the present infinitive and when to
use the perfect. Rule; When the in
TinitlVe refers to a tine coincident with
or after that of the principal verb, the
present (aS, to- he of the verb 10 be)
should be used. But when the reference
Is to time prior to that Indicated by the
principal verb Cor its equivaient) the per-
fect infinftive {as. to have been of the
verb to bel should be used
Grammatical Construction.
If was and if I We're
PAST TENSE.
First person--If was IL we were
Second persen-If thou vast. If you were.
Third person-If he was. If they were.
PAST TENSE (ANoTHER FoRM).
First person-If I were If we were.
Second perSon-f thou vert If you were
Third person-f he were. If they were
Note-If we We're. if you were and If
they We're are the same in both forms
consequently it is only necessary to de-
terInine when to use if I was, if / were,
II he was and If he were IF I were"
and If he We're. .(modern grammarians
regard If / was" and "If he was a
past FORMS of the. indicative mood, and
II We're and If he were as past
forms of the subjunctiye mood are the
proper forms to use when the supposi-
ton of the action or state is merely
thought of
If i was" and 'tf he was" are the
proper forms to use when the SUPPOSE
ton of the. action- or state may be re-
garded as a fact.
Were is always used after the express
sion of a wish. Examples: wish l were
going with you. / wish he were here
He wishes he were rich