Subjunctive verbs are complicated – when do you use ‘I was’ and when do you use ‘I were’ when you express a wish or command that is not real or factual?
For example – do you say?
I wish I was a princess living in a pink castle. – Incorrect
I wish I were a princess living in a pink castle. – Correct
Think of it as moods – just like you, verbs have moods too. The English language (like many other languages) have moods ranging from commanding to wishful.
The mood of the verb: I ‘was’ becomes I ‘were’ and is called the subjunctive mood.
When do you use subjunctive mood?
Every time the content of the sentence is not true - and the sentence talks about things you wish would happen or about what would happen if things were different from what they actually are - you are dealing with a subjunctive mood.
A hint: often these sentences contain verbs, such as ‘would’ or ‘could’.
For example:
If I was rich, I would buy a horse. – Incorrect
If I were rich, I would buy a horse. – Correct
If I was in your position, I would do the same. – Incorrect
If I were in your position, I would do the same. - Correct
If the ladder was taller, we could reach the window on the second floor. – Incorrect
If the ladder were taller, we could reach the window on the second floor. - Correct
