Grammar Entry 630 / 1011 60-second read

If I was vs. If I were

Subjunctive for hypotheticals.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

If I was rich, I would travel.

✓ Correct

If I were rich, I would travel.

The ruleii

Hypothetical: WERE. Real possibility: WAS.

English preserves subjunctive in unreal conditions with BE: "If I were you" — never "If I was you" in careful writing.

Memory aidiii

Remember it like this

Beyoncé: "If I were a boy..."

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