Ever hear of the subjunctive mood? It’s that weird rule that seems to pair a singular subject with a plural verb, like when Tevye sings “If I Were a Rich Man” in Fiddler on the Roof.
So why were rather than was? Basically, the rule has to do with the past subjunctive form of the verb be, but that’s not important right now. All you need to remember is that, when you want to express something wishful—or when you state a condition that isn’t true—use were.
RIGHT: “If I were better looking, maybe she’d go out with me.”
WRONG: “If I was better looking, maybe she’d go out with me.”
RIGHT: “If I were you, I’d pay attention.”
WRONG: “If I was you, I’d pay attention.”
RIGHT: “If it weren’t for my horse, I wouldn’t have spent that year in college.” (NSFW)
WRONG: “If it wasn’t for my horse, I wouldn’t have spent that year in college.”
There’s a lot more to the subjunctive mood than the were/was issue, of course. But that’s the one that regularly trips people up. Stick to these basic guidelines, though, and you’ll do just fine.
