Again a small was/were/would be sentence

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Nightmare85

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Hello,
I think I'm on "asking spree" :-D

Imagine I go to a 40 year old woman and ask her this:
(So: no past!)
Were I too young for you?

Other options are:
Would I be too young for you?
Was I too young for you?

What would you choose?
I believe was is not correct.

P.S: And no, I'm not planning to ask this question ;-)

Thank you!

Cheers!
 

mmasny

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Hello,
I think I'm on "asking spree" :-D

Imagine I go to a 40 year old woman and ask her this:
(So: no past!)
Were I too young for you?

Other options are:
Would I be too young for you?
Was I too young for you?

What would you choose?
I believe was is not correct.

P.S: And no, I'm not planning to ask this question ;-)

Thank you!

Cheers!
I've never been in this kind of a situation ;-)

Why do you say 'was' is incorrect and 'were' correct?
 

Nightmare85

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Thank you.

Am I too young for you.
I think this would mean that I actually want to start a relationship with such a woman.
However, I don't want, that's why I use a subjunctive.

Was I too young for you.
As
Gillnetter has already written, it sounds like past.

Can we say that in my imaginary example these 2 sentences are the only correct ones?
Were I too young for you?
Would I be too young for you?

Thank you!

P.S. You should never take my examples too serious :-D:-D

Cheers!
 

mmasny

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Oh, so the 'were' was for the past subjunctive. I don't think you can use past subjunctive like this.

Would I be too young for you? - It's a correct sentence.

I don't understand this part:
I think this would mean that I'm actually want to start a relationship with such a woman.
However, I don't want, that's why I use a subjunctive.
Doesn't would I be too young for you mean that you want to start a relationship then?
 

sarat_106

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Thank you.


Can we say that in my imaginary example these 2 sentences are the only correct ones?
Were I too young for you?
Would I be too young for you?

Thank you!

P.S. You should never take my examples too serious :-D:-D

Cheers!
The first one is in the past subjuctive. You can not use subjunctive mood to form an interrogative sentence. It is used in dependent clauses that do some specific functions; as
§ She wishes her boyfriend were here. (express a wish)
§ If Juan were more aggressive, he'd be a better hockey player (express a condition that is contrary to fact)
§ He acted as if he were guilty. (describe a speculation or condition contrary to fact)
§ I requested that he be present at the hearing. (express a demand, requirement, request, or suggestion.)
 

Nightmare85

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@https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/members/mmasny.htmlmmasny:
About the part you don't understand:
If I loved her, I would be too young anyway.
So but in our case I don't love her, that's why I don't want to use "Am I..." :)
Does this help you?

@sarat_106:
Thanks.
If I have correctly understood I cannot use were in my case?
Only would be?

Cheers!
 

bhaisahab

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@mmasny:
About the part you don't understand:
If I loved her, I would be too young anyway.
So but in our case I don't love her, that's why I don't want to use "Am I..." :)
Does this help you?

@sarat_106:
Thanks.
If I have correctly understood I cannot use were in my case?
Only would be?

Cheers!
Yes, "were" is incorrect, "would I be" is correct for your sentence.
 

Nightmare85

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Thank you.
I have another small question:
Which is correct?:
I wish I was no man.
I wish I were no man. - seems correct to me.
I wish I would be no man.


P.S. I'm still talking about present, not past :)

Edit

sarat_106 said:
§ She wishes her boyfriend were here. (express a wish)
Okay I think this should already answer my question - so the 2nd should be correct :)

Cheers!
 

Barb_D

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Except "I wish I were not a man" is a better way to phrase it than "no man."
 
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