[Grammar] If + subjunctive of be

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Simosito

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Hello,
I was thinking about the use of if+subjunctive and the verb be.
I remember Shakespeare wrote "were I Brutus [...]" and I know in English one says "If I were you...", yet the subjunctive of be it is writ to be "be".
My question then it's this: shall I write "If he were seen he'd be killed" or "If he be seen..."?
 

bhaisahab

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Apr 12, 2008
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Hello,
I was thinking about the use of if+subjunctive and the verb be.
I remember Shakespeare wrote "were I Brutus [...]" and I know in English one says "If I were you...", yet the subjunctive of be it is writ to be "be".
My question then it's this: shall I write "If he were seen he'd be killed" or "If he be seen..."?
In English write: "If he were seen he would be killed." or "If he be seen, kill him/ he shall be killed" or more likely in modern English "If you see him, kill him".
 
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