Observation and question:
學習與現在事實相反之條件句時，高中老師及教材往往會特別強調不論主詞為何，即便主詞是第一人稱單數（I）或者是第三人稱單數（he/she），Be動詞皆必須使用were，而不能使用was，例如：If I were a millionaire, I would travel around the world.；但實際觀察英語為母語人士說話時，卻發現其實有些人會在主詞為I/he/she的情況下仍使用was，例如：If I was you, I wouldn’t do that.
因此，我們想知道是否在與現在事實相反之條件句主詞為I/he/she時一定只能使用were為主詞，而was是不被允許、使用量上較少或者被英語為母語者人士視為不正確的。
Reference from grammar books and high school text books:
1) 三民書局 高中英文第五冊 Unit7
Pattern: S+V+ as if + S. + were/ V-ed
Example: Lisa is only a young girl, but she talks as if she were an adult.
2) 龍騰文化 高中英文第二冊 附錄一 文法篇第十單元
談論不真實狀況之條件句－表達不太可能或不真實的現在或未來情況，如子句中有Be動詞，通常使用were，而不是was。
Example1: If a person were caught stealing salt, he would be put in jail.
Example2: If I were you, I would go abroad.
3) 龍騰文化 升大學挑戰互動式英文寫作與翻譯總複習講義
補教界名師 陳賢，陳明亮 編著
Pattern: If S+were/V-ed…,S+would+原型V
前後兩句均為「與現在事實相反」之假設法
→兩句都用「過去式」動詞：
Example: If I were a bird, I would fly high in the sky.
4) 建弘出版社 活用圖解英文法 陳啟賢，陳明亮編著
與現在事實相反的假設
Pattern:
If +主詞 + 1. were should
2. 過去式V 主詞+ would + 原形V
3, 過去式助動詞+原形V could
might
Example: If he were rich, he would buy the house.
說明:
Be動詞，不論人稱，一律用were，如:
If I were a bird, ….
If you were here, …
If he were rich, ….
5) 遠東書局 高中英文課本第二冊 教師手冊 Grammar Focus(p.104-105)
Pattern: If S+V-ed…, S +would…
說明: 本課的重點是與現在事實相反的假設語法。If 子句的動詞為過去式，
而be動詞不論任何人稱一律用 were。主要子句的動詞為助動詞過去式
(would, could, might) 接原形動詞。
Corpus findings:
(1) If I was you,…
- BNC corpus
-31 matched in 37 solutions
-10 examples:
ACV 331 As they passed through the gate into the yard, he added: `;If I was you, lad, I wouldn't be too nosey.';
ACV 2136 `;I shouldn't fret about it if I was you, son.';
BMU 1229 If I was you, I'd walk on a bit till ye gets to the Half Moon --; it's along the Overclyst road, so…';
C86 814 `;I'd keep it that way, if I was you,'; McGowan said.
C86 3117 `;I wouldn't say anything about it if I was you.';
CAT 365 When someone is rude --; a waiter, a civil servant, a politician --; she says `;Huh, if I was you I'd sue.';
CCA 578 I mean if I was you I'd just put up with it and stay in bed.
CD2 1748 I'd start lookin', if I was you, while you can.';
CDM 1630 So I'd stay away from 'er if I was you an' come an' play marbles with me like you used to do.';
CE9 1417 `;If I tell anyone that we stopped to look for a ghost, they'll laugh at me, and if I was you, I wouldn't tell your mates either.
除了從BNC語料庫中找到的例子之外，我們也在BYU-BNC British National Corpus當中發現，在使用 “If I was you…”這樣的條件句時，語料以來自於口語化的英語居多；而 “If I were you…”這樣的句子多用於寫作時的英語，比例又以撰寫小說時為居多。
下一頁將以圖表顯示其比例：
BYU-BNC British National Corpus
-difference of occurring frequency between the spoken and written registers
(2) If she was…
- BNC corpus
-784 solutions found
-13 matched in 50 random selections
If she was good…
- BNC corpus
-4 solutions found
-3 matched in 4
ALH 2983 I could fancy her if she wasn't so old and a teacher.
EF1 3157 `;If she was our daughter she wouldn't be in this mess,'; Whitlock retorted.
KB6 1704 She would be most helpful if she was here.
KCN 7255 Well she'll have bloody shock if she was here in the summer then!
A74 1497 If she was here everything would be OK and Mr Jackson wouldn't want to take me away.
FAB 3005 `;If she was here now I'd tear her apart.
HJC 766 Couldn't you --;'; `;I wouldn't live on my own if she was here, would I?
AC3 2785 Maybe, if she was good, he would give it to her.
C85 1357 And yet he'd talked about giving it back if he won and if she was good to him.
FP0 44 If she was good, maybe `;soon'; would be sooner still and she could dance in the meanings….
(3) If he was…
- BNC corpus
-1407 solutions found
- 6 matched in 50 random selections
If he was here…
- BNC corpus
- 5 solutions found
- 4 matched in 5 found
A0E 295 He reveres Tagore as the great modern writer of Bengal, but he looks at him disrespectfully, as if he was applying a Brechtian alienation-effect on him.
CH5 1117 If you and your gran are as wise as you think you are, you'll be as nice to him as if he was already a member of the family.
EF1 196 Do you not think I would know if he was still alive, especially if he was living here in Beirut?';
F7W 251 If he was represented we could do it er, on the section six two.
FAB 2748 That she could see through him as if he was glass.
GVT 1710 `;If he was alive it would be just as hopeless.
AT7 1816 If he was here this minute I would feel like killing him.
HJ3 140 `;If he was here today he would be urging everyone to support the research efforts of the Foundation.';
HYC 734 My, my son'd tell you if he was here.
Suggestion:
以往老師在批改作業或考卷時，如果學生在主詞為I的狀況下將條件句用was，老師都會改錯，並告訴學生使用 “were”才是「正確的文法」。但換個角度試想，如果有一位美國回台就學的小孩在書寫上一個不注意照說話時的用法寫下 “If I was you,…”這樣的句子時呢？就此而言，這樣的小孩若是以英語為母語，並不真正了解所謂的文法或是文法的專有名詞，能夠告訴他他從小說到大的英文是錯的嗎？
另外，雖然從語料庫的結果也顯示的確在口語的使用上was是比較頻繁的，在書寫的語料上大家就會比較注意，但是難道大家都真真實實在使用的語言會只因為它口語就不對了嗎？而所謂「正確的文法」或是「標準的語言」至今也仍舊難以定義，所以我們認為當老師在教導學生條件句時，能夠告訴同學使用 “were”是沒有錯的、是比較正式的，但是口語也的確有人會使用 “was”。
最後，其實在找尋文法書時，我們其實也發現了例外，也就是不如一般其他文法說法的，這是由Cambridge University Press出版的Basic Grammar in Use當中，在介紹與現在事實相反或不符的句型時，除了介紹使用Be動詞應當用 were之外，也同時在那之後括弧加上「或was」的字樣。
Ｄear all,
假設語氣的動詞型態，自古英語時期就呈現逐步簡化的現象。
這裡所指出的現象，正好呼應英語自古以來所呈現的「simplification of inflections」的語言變遷方向—由I were簡化為I was。
另外一個與此呼應的變化是與過去事實相反的假設形式If I had been… 也朝向If I were…演變，而且應該已經不限於口語用法，演變速度更快，各位可以進一步探討、比較。
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