Jane,
    John and Herb gave thoughtful responses that I'd echo. If it were mine (not was), I'd not only use the "were," but would argue for it. When there's this kind of option, control goes to the writer.

Craig

From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jane Saral
Sent: Friday, September 09, 2011 10:54 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: was or were?

A friend is nearing the end of writing a book and writes me:

I have been going over my manuscript with a fine-toothed comb.  I paid a copy editor to correct the punctuation and usage, and today I  subscribed to the "Chicago Manual of Style" on line, for a 30 day trial.  But I have been finding inconsistencies in the copy editor's changes that the style manual doesn't exactly answer.  Right now I stuck on the use of "was" or "were" after an "if."  I always thought that it was the subjunctive and should be "if I were," etc.  However, the copy editor has changed my "were" every time.  Here's an example of his change: "Every time he drove up the winding driveway, Howard felt as if he was entering a baronial fiefdom."  Do you have any idea what the current usage is?  I'm very confused so if you have a clue, let me know.

I too would use the subjunctive (when it's contrary-to-fact).  What should I tell my friend?

Jane
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