English Language Learners Asked by Alex S on February 1, 2021
Given the 2 examples below:
I wish you were here now
If he were in the situation that you’ve been 2 weeks ago, we wouldn’t have bothered about it now
The word ‘were’ is used as a subjunctive and my question is: To me, because of the signaling words now and 2 weeks ago, the first example is a thinking and a usage of the word ‘were’ in the present, though a hypothetical situation and the second example shows ‘were’ for a past thinking and again a hypothetical situation. Is it so? I also found the article on Wikipedia (English subjunctive – were) but I didn’t find the section entitled ‘Use of the past subjunctive’ to be clarifying. Despite having the name of PAST SUBJUNCTIVE , the first example to me is very present. So to summarize and ask it in a more comprised way:
What are the tenses of the were subjunctive? Does a native speaker think on the tense of this verb ‘were’ when used as a subjunctive?
Thank you
I wish you were here now.
But you are not. That sentence is said in a present time about what one wishes in the present.
1) If he had been in the situation you were in 2 weeks ago, we we wouldn't have bothered about it now.
The second sentence is about one thing preceding another in the past: you were in a situation two weeks ago, and if he had been in it, x would have happened. had been is present perfect and precedes the situation you were in.
or
2) If he were in the situation you were in 2 weeks ago, etc.
Again, "if he were" would be said at a present time. It is not past tense. It is like the first example.
Answered by Lambie on February 1, 2021
Both of your example sentences are using were to refer to a present (but nonfactual) condition.
I wish you were here now.
This means that you aren't actually here now.
The second sentence is the same, but I need to rephrase it slightly for it to be grammatical (and, perhaps, to make it understandably in the present):
If he were in the same situation now that you had been 2 weeks ago, we wouldn't be bothered about it.
You will note that I added a word, move now closer to the start of the sentence, and changed a couple of tenses.
Answered by Jason Bassford on February 1, 2021
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