Grammar question

[Audie]

When I asked if my sentence was grammatically correct, the first response was from Nick. The next was from Jason, who is an expert, and said it is grammatically correct. And he gave his reasoning.


Audie,

Are you going to concede you are wrong, and apologize? Or are you going to continue to be stubborn, despite all the evidence against you?

I will comcede that you rewrote your sentence before submitting it.

No Audie. That would be intentionally dishonest.

It is not the same sentence.

You changed "was" to "had been".

May 13, 11:14 a.m.

[Audie]

When I asked if my sentence was grammatically correct, the first response was from Nick. The next was from Jason, who is an expert, and said it is grammatically correct.

Audie,

Are you going to concede you are wrong, and apologize? Or are you going to continue to be stubborn, despite all the evidence against you?

I will comcede that you rewrote your sentence before submitting it.

No Audie. That would be intentionally dishonest.

Come on Rick, that IS Audie's way of apologizing.

Really? Coulda fooled me.

Me too, it is anything but.

[RickD]

Stubborn little fireball, isn't she?

[Byblos]

Stubborn little fireball, isn't she?

I was kidding, in an attempt to make light of the situation. Failed miserably. Oh well, I tried.

[RickD]

Stubborn little fireball, isn't she?

I was kidding, in an attempt to make light of the situation. Failed miserably. Oh well, I tried.

I was kidding too. Apparently my sarcasm isn't obvious to everyone.

[Audie]

Stubborn little fireball, isn't she?

I was kidding, in an attempt to make light of the situation. Failed miserably. Oh well, I tried.

I was kidding too. Apparently my sarcasm isn't obvious to everyone.

There would be no "situation", if you had let it go when I teased you about
failure to use the subjubctive when it appeared to be appropriate,
instead of starting a thread to try to show I was wrong.

I might be wrong, but if I am that is not demonstrated by asking some presumptive
authority about a different sentence.

[RickD]

Stubborn little fireball, isn't she?

I was kidding, in an attempt to make light of the situation. Failed miserably. Oh well, I tried.

I was kidding too. Apparently my sarcasm isn't obvious to everyone.

There would be no "situation", if you had let it go when I teased you about
failure to use the subjubctive when it appeared to be appropriate,
instead of starting a thread to try to show I was wrong.

I might be wrong, but if I am that is not demonstrated by asking some presumptive
authority about a different sentence.

What?
I posted the exact sentence that you claimed was wrong. Audie, I really hope you're joking now. Now you're calling me a liar.

[RickD]

Here's the screenshot of my question, and then an expert on the grammar website, telling me that my sentence is grammatically correct.




Audie,

Are you now going to apologize, concede I was correct, and then apologize for calling me a liar?

[hughfarey]

Who is this "Nick"? What did he "try to illustrate"? How do you know that Jason is an "expert"? What did "your wife" actually say? What wording does Audie think is correct? Does it depend on what the sentence is meant to mean? What did the original writer of the sentence want it to mean?

I'm an expert (Is that all it takes?).

"Then your wife asked you if it was comfortable sleeping in the dog house" is entirely grammatically permissible. There is no per se requirement to use a subjunctive. Using a subjunctive is also entirely grammatically permissible. It just changes the meaning of the sentence slightly.

[RickD]

Who is this "Nick"? What did he "try to illustrate"? How do you know that Jason is an "expert"? What did "your wife" actually say? What wording does Audie think is correct? Does it depend on what the sentence is meant to mean? What did the original writer of the sentence want it to mean?

I'm an expert (Is that all it takes?).

"Then your wife asked you if it was comfortable sleeping in the dog house" is entirely grammatically permissible. There is no per se requirement to use a subjunctive. Using a subjunctive is also entirely grammatically permissible. It just changes the meaning of the sentence slightly.

The site I posted it on is a grammar website. I posted it there to ask grammar experts.

The debate between Audie and me, wasn't whether there was another sentence that was better. Only that my sentence was wrong.

But for the record, Audie said that my sentence was wrong because in place of "was", should be "were".

Again, my sentence:

Then your wife asked you if it was comfortable sleeping in the dog house.

And Audie said my sentence was wrong because "was" should be "were".

Then your wife asked you if it were comfortable sleeping in the dog house.

[Audie]

Here's the screenshot of my question, and then an expert on the grammar website, telling me that my sentence is grammatically correct.




Audie,

Are you now going to apologize, concede I was correct, and then apologize for calling me a liar?

It is only now that you post the entire exchange, despite my having pointed that out more than once.

Earlier, we saw the sentence re written as ' had been" in place of "was".

Now at long last, you post the entire exchange. Why did it take so long?

I shouldnt think an apology is in any way called for. Apologize for what?

IF the rules of the game here is to withhold information, and further that any positive statement about another ("you think", say) is to be considered an occasion for accusation of lying, let us be clear about that.

We should then have to see accusations and apology demands making up the majority of what is posted here.

The explanation given by the expert is of course, turgid in the extreme. I note your failure despite request, to explain what it means. I dont understand why I am wrong, do you, or do you just take his word for it?

[RickD]

You're Stubborn to the end.


You were wrong in saying that my sentence wasn't correct.

You were wrong in your accusation of deception.

Are you going to continue blaming me, or are you just going to do what any honest person would do? Admit you were wrong, and apologize.

[Audie]

You're Stubborn to the end.


You were wrong in saying that my sentence wasn't correct.

You were wrong in your accusation of deception.

Are you going to continue blaming me, or are you just going to do what any honest person would do? Admit you were wrong, and apologize.

You do carry on so.

This seems to be a case of third person past subjunctive.

Past subjunctive
Tags: past present subjunctive unreal situations
The past subjunctive has the same form as the past simple tense except in the case of the verb be. Traditionally, the past subjunctive form of be is were for all persons, including the first and third person singular. However, today I/he/she/it was is more common while were is mainly used in formal styles and in the set phrase if I were you.

According to this, it is more common to write it the way you did.

So you were not wrong. About that, at least.

[Jac3510]

[RickD]

That's a classic Jac.