If I Was vs. If I Were
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation
If I Was vs. If I Were
Whether in conversation or in writing, we have likely shared expressions such as “if I were you” or “if I was in your position.” We might also find ourselves shifting between “if I was” and “if I were” when making such statements.
In these cases, we have a 50 percent chance of being grammatically right. Some contexts will call for the expression “if I was,” and others will be precise by including “if I were.” In this discussion, we’ll look at how you can reinforce your grammatical mastery by knowing when to use either clause.
When Is It Correct to Say If I Was?
The main distinction between “if I was” and “if I were” is that one dependent clause is in the conditional tense and the other is in the subjunctive mood.
“If I was” is in the conditional tense, which conveys a possible scenario with a plausible speculative result. In other words, if you correctly express “if I was,” you will suggest that what follows is not impossible, even if it will not take place.
More specifically, “if I was” is a Type 2 conditional, which presents a hypothetical condition (i.e., not real or not happening) with a probable result. The condition is expressed in a dependent “if” clause in the simple past tense. The probable result is described by a main (independent) clause in either the present conditional or the present continuous conditional.
Examples
If I was the owner of the tire shop, I would focus more on product offers and marketing. (I am not the owner, but I could be theoretically, and this would be the likely result.)
If I was your next-door neighbor, I would insist that you mow your lawn more than once a month. (I am not your next-door neighbor, but I could be theoretically, and this would likely be the result.)
The scenarios need not always be theoretical. “If I was” can also express a past condition of the speaker.
Examples
I am truly sorry if I was unkind to you.
If I was asleep during the lecture, why didn’t you wake me?
These constructions typically follow the “if I was” clause with an adjectival descriptor, such as unkind and asleep in the examples above.
We’ll also find “if I was” in sentences that use the mixed conditional tense, which conveys a former time with a situation that extends into the present. It combines an unreal past or present condition with an unreal past or present result.
The “if” clause includes the simple past or the past perfect, and the main clause uses the present conditional or the perfect conditional.
Example
If I was [simple past tense] afraid of bees [unreal present condition; I’m not afraid of bees], you would not see [present conditional] me standing so close to this hive [unreal present result; I am standing close to the hive].
When Is It Correct to Say If I Were?
The expression “if I were” is an example of the subjunctive mood, which often resembles the conditional with an “if” clause. However, it differs in that it expresses a wish, supposition, or other theoretical prospect that is either impossible or highly unlikely as opposed to the conditional’s suggested feasibility.
To draw attention to its great improbability, the subjunctive alters proper verb conjugation. The simple past tense verb “was” in “if I was” changes to “were”:
If I were a mosquito, I’d try harder to leave people alone.
If I were a billionaire, I would help to fight world hunger.
If I were a wolfman, I would still want a good barber.
Here we have two impossibilities: I cannot and will not become a mosquito or a wolfman if I am not already one. In addition, as of April 2022, there were 735 billionaires in the U.S., or about 0.000002 percent of the population. Inclusion in that group is slim at best. The subjunctive “if I were” captures the far-fetched prospect of each scenario.
The next time you’re about to choose between “if I was” and “if I were,” simply consider whether what you’re going to say next is plausible (was) or implausible (were), and you will be precise.
Related Topic
Pop Quiz
Make the correct choice of “if I was” or “if I were” in each sentence.
1. [If I was / If I were] to be there tomorrow, would you buy me lunch?
2. [If I was / If I were] made of gold, I would scratch myself and make you rich.
3. [If I was / If I were] eight feet tall, I might be able to see what you’re talking about.
4. [If I was / If I were] you, I wouldn’t stop trying just yet.
5. [If I was / If I were] the service manager, I would treat staff members as well as they treat our customers.
Pop Quiz Answers
1. If I was to be there tomorrow, would you buy me lunch?
2. If I were made of gold, I would scratch myself and make you rich.
3. If I were eight feet tall, I might be able to see what you’re talking about.
4. If I were you, I wouldn’t stop trying just yet.
5. If I was the service manager, I would treat staff members as well as they treat our customers.
If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
Do plural subjects always use if/were? For example: If we were at the baseball game, we would have heard the crowd roar.
Plural subjects use if/were for past tense. “If we was” is not grammatically correct. Plural subjects also use if/are. Example: If we are going, we should leave now.
In your example, the correct correlation of tenses between clauses would be “If we had been at the baseball game, we would have heard the crowd roar.”
For more insight, you also can refer to our post Clarifying the Conditional Tense.
Fantastic stuff!
My mother was an English degree holder (as was her mother—aka “Memee,” who lived a quick walk down the hill). So living in the mountains to WNC, we often received correction lessons no matter what. We whined constantly. Both Mom and Memee would (and still) say, “You will thank me one day soon!”
Damned if she weren’t right. (Kidding) Damned if she wasn’t right. Haha. We always thank her when we’re together. She’s the best.