If I were her ...

"If I were she, I'd sign up for that class."

This is correct grammar, but it sounds so odd to my ear because I never hear anyone saying it this way. Is it becoming accepted as correct the same way as the "was/were" issue? "If I was a member, I'd..."

[Tdol]

It is correct, but very few would say it. It's not becoming more accepted; it's disappearing as a form. It used to be much more common.

[silversea]

Originally Posted by tdol

It is correct, but very few would say it. It's not becoming more accepted; it's disappearing as a form. It used to be much more common.

So you mean that now it is less common to say that if I were in your shoes? We should say If I was in your shoes instead?

[Tdol]

No; I was referring to the pronoun:
If I were she (uncommon)
If I were her (more common)

[Steven D]

Originally Posted by tdol

No; I was referring to the pronoun:
I were she (uncommon)
If I were her (more common)

Saying something like, "if I were she" it just totally irksome.

Find out which exams require it. Use it for exams if it's required. Humor them. Then forget it.

I don't think it ever was common in the first place.

[Tdol]

It was probably mostly confined to educated speakers in British English, so it wasn't ever tha common, and it has largely be abadoned by them. I can think of no circumstances in which I would use the stucture. In the most formal writing imaginable, I would still not use it.

tdol, thank you so much for replying to my question. It sounds like you wouldn't expect an ESL instructor to teach the "If I were she" form in a class, is that true?

[Steven D]

Originally Posted by tdol

It was probably mostly confined to educated speakers in British English, so it wasn't ever tha common, and it has largely be abadoned by them. I can think of no circumstances in which I would use the stucture. In the most formal writing imaginable, I would still not use it.

Here's some popcorn for ya.

[Tdol]

If I were ya, I wouldn't have got so much.

[Steven D]

Originally Posted by tdol

If I were ya, I wouldn't have got so much.

You wouldn't have got so much, but I wouldn't have gotten so much.