Date:  Tue, 10 Oct 1995 22:02:21 -0400

From:  "William H. Smith" <Wh5mith[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM>

Subject: as it were



I have read have a dozen postings saying that the subjunctive does/doesn't

exist, on the evidence of "If I was.." The anti's say that the subjunctive

has given way to the indicative past, but no one has noted that "If I

was/were..." is not past, it is present:

"If I were now as I once was..." If the subjunctive _were_ dead, we would

say, "If I am..."

Bill Smith

Piedmont College