If I was/were you

[Barman]

If I want to represent an imaginary or unreal thing using the subjunctive form of a verb, is it grammatically possible to write 'was' instead of 'were'? e.g.

1) If I were you, I'd spend all money for the welfare of the poor.

2) If I was you, I'd spend all money for the welfare of the poor.

 

[5jj]

A prescriptive grammarian would say 'no'.
A descriptive grammarian would say 'yes'.

Few speakers of BrE would object to 'was'.

 

[emsr2d2]

I agree that few BrE speakers would actually object to "was", but most of them would use the subjunctive without even knowing that that's what they were doing. "If I were you" is such a common phrase that many people use it without thinking.

Also, bear in mind that few BrE speakers study grammar at any point in their lives. We learn our own language almost exclusively through experience (hearing what other people say). That's why kids who grow up with parents who say things like "He could of done it", "You wasn't there", or "I ain't done nothing" (those are just examples) will use the same structures, probably for the rest of their lives. Once errors like that are learned, it's hard to unlearn them.

 

[5jj]

I agree that few BrE speakers would actually object to "was", but most of them would use the subjunctive without even knowing that that's what they were doing. "If I were you" is such a common phrase that many people use it without thinking.

You may be right, but I'm not so sure. Despite many years of living with me as his model, my own son was a 'was' person until he did his Cert TESOL course. When I was a Cert TESOL trainer, I often had British trainees who naturally used 'was'. American trainees generally used 'were'.

(I avoided the use of the word 'subjunctive' in those three sentences. That's not a word many native speakers of English younger than emsr2d2 are familiar with.)

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

A prescriptive grammarian would say 'no'.
A descriptive grammarian would say 'yes'.

Few speakers of BrE would object to 'was'.

It sounds really weird to my American ears.