Date:  Tue, 10 Oct 1995 09:29:33 -0500

From:  "Kathleen M. O'Neill" <koneil1[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UIC.EDU>

Subject: Re: as it were



I believe it's NEAL McCoy. :-)



--Kate



>> I have heard the phrase, "as it were," such as, "The ball was round, as it

>> were." The question I have, though, stems from the use of the plural

>> past tense "were." If it were to be "grammatically" correct, would that

>> not be "as it was"? Or is this a regional type of thing? Just a thought!

>

>if i were you, i'd check out "subjunctive mood" in a handbook of

>english. then again, when i look it up in _the modern writer's

>handbook_, i see, "the subjunctive mood is falling into disuse." witness

>dilbert mccoy's current hit (country song), "if i was a drinkin' man."

>

>sylvia swift

>madonna[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]violet.berkeley.edu

>