Comments on: What If It Was Free?

By: James

James — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:07:15 +0000

Actually, “if it was free,” for those who use the subjunctive (not everyone does), is a genuine consideration of the actual possibility that it had been free: “If it was free, why did we pay for it?” The items you list in fact are not and have not been free for you; the point is not that it’s theoretically impossible for them to be free but that, since they aren’t and weren’t, their being free is contrary to fact. So, for instance, Tevye in The Fiddler on the Roof is not a rich man (just as a facny car or a giant flat-screen TV are not and have not been free for you, so you are not considering the possibility that they may have been free in the past). He sings “If I were a rich man.” If, as a subjunctive user, he were to sing “If I was a rich man,” it would be because someone was saying he used to be one, or he just can’t remember whether he was.

By: amber

amber — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:20:57 +0000

Interesting – I never knew the intricate set of rules behind the English subjective. And now I’ve found a great new blog. Thanks!

By: Frugillionaire

Frugillionaire — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:46:24 +0000

Thanks for your note, Amber!

That’s a tricky one. My understanding is that the subjunctive (”were”) should be used when the condition is untrue or impossible. For example, “If the earth were flat, one could fall off the edge.”

However, since this post posits a situation in which the condition becomes reality (such as in the case of a sweepstakes winner), I believe the indicative (”was”) is the proper form.

Here’s an example in which the condition could be a reality: “We couldn’t find a price tag, and wondered if it was free.”

Following is one of the sources I used to research this:

http://sesquiotic.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/if-i-were-using-the-subjunctive/

If this is incorrect, I’d love if you (or anyone else) could provide further clarification on the matter. I always welcome a good grammar discussion.

By: amber

amber — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:41:01 +0000

Just a friendly editing note — to be grammatically correct, the title should read, “What if it were Free?”

By: Francine Jay

Francine Jay — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:25:26 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Ellen! You’ve made some really good points–you’re right, if the year’s supply of something wasn’t delivered all at once, it sounds much more attractive.

But for argument’s sake, what if you couldn’t re-sell the items? Would you still want the burden of ownership, along with the associated expenses (say, the higher utility bills of a large house, or increased insurance and maintenance fees of a luxury car)?

By: Ellen

Ellen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:36:16 +0000

I’d take most of those things and plan to re-sell them.

I wouldn’t mind the designer wardrobe, simply because that stuff tends to fit well and be of excellent quality.

And a year’s supply of gas or groceries? Fantastic! They give you credit, so you don’t have to buy it all at once, obviously, and what a wonderful way to cut down on a necessary expense.