安裝中文字典英文字典辭典工具!
安裝中文字典英文字典辭典工具!
|
- was or were? -- Several thousand pounds worth of jewellery . . .
I first thought was is more natural, but I've changed my mind: were is more likely On the surface, the logical subject is Several thousand pounds worth, which is uncountable; but in practice, that phrase usually acts as a quantifier, so the effective subject is jewellery, which is uncountable; so either way, the verb should be singular was
- The Beatles were was - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960 Source The Beatles were? Aren't isn't The Beatles a proper noun and it refers to one group? I don't understand why WikiPedia and
- Does could not [verb] imply that attempts were made?
In the second form it is clear that he did not, because the full thought would sound "if he had tried to have it, he could not have had it " But does the first form say that some attempts were made, or it states that if they had been made, they would have been futile?
- subjunctives - Why is it If I were you and not If I was you . . .
Were is unique in Modern English, so I wouldn't bother giving it names like "subjunctive" that imply it's a predictable part of a larger system
- Was vs Were - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
Subjunctive were cannot be used freely, but only in certain syntactic contexts: primarily, after "if", or in the (rather literary) inverted form which is equivalent to "if" A non-conditional clause introduced by "think" is not one of these contexts So no, even among those who use subjunctive were, your example is not grammatical in present-day English
- usage - can were use for a singular entity - English Language . . .
Generally, "xxx were " is being used even when xxx is representing a singular noun pronoun if the writer knows: That the stuff after "were" is wishful thinking That the stuff after "were" is absolutely and undoubtedly false Some people call this subjunctive mood But generally, if the statement describes something that is not true in reality, a plural form of the verb to be can be used instead
- A few were, or a few was? - English Language Learners Stack Exchange
If I write: Only a few of his friends were are at this side is this correct? Or should 'were' be 'was' as a few is singular?
- We lived vs We were living in the past tense
Why is it correct to say: In 1985 we were living in Canada and why is it not correct to say In 1985 we lived in Canada Is there any difference? Can you say either way?
|
|
|