using if

[Pinar12]

I've learned to use "were" in if sentences.

f.ex. If I were you, I would study more.

Please see now this sentence:
He walked over to me and asked if I was (?) the cousin of the bride.

Why not to use "were" here instead?

Please help with an explanation.

Thank you.
E

 

[emsr2d2]

I've learned to use "were" in "if" sentences.

[STRIKE]f.ex.[/STRIKE] For example: If I were you, I would study more.

Please now see [strike]now[/strike] this sentence:

He walked over to me and asked if I was (?) the cousin of the bride.

Why can I/we not [STRIKE]to[/STRIKE] use "were" here instead?

Please help with an explanation.

Thank you.
[strike]E[/strike] There's no need to put anything after "Thank you", whether it's a name or an initial. We just use usernames here so, to us, you are Pinar12.

See my corrections above. Who told you that it's not possible to use "were" there?

 

[Pinar12]

Thank you,

but this doesn't really help.
Do you mean that "were" is also possible in this sentence?
Which one is more common respectively grammatically correct?

 

[teechar]

Do you mean that "were" is also possible in this sentence?

Yes, this is the subjunctive mood, and it is appropriate for this (unreal since you can't be that person) context.

Which one is more common? [STRIKE]respectively grammatically correct?[/STRIKE]

Take a look for yourself.

https://books.google.com/ngrams/gra...l=t1;,if I was you;,c0;.t1;,if I were you;,c0

 

[GoesStation]

f.ex. If I were you, I would study more.

Please see now this sentence:
He walked over to me and asked if I was (?) the cousin of the bride.

Why not to use "were" here instead?

In the first, you're proposing a situation that can't be true, so you should use the subjunctive "were".

The second proposes two possible situations: you are or are not one of the bride's cousins. You can't use the subjunctive in this case.