Dear Siraisi Tomio,
According to knowledge that I got after taking Advanced
English Grammar class, I can say that first sentence is
more likely to be correct than the second one.
Subjunctive mood expresses an assumption and usually
expresses hypothetical situation. If I was you, I would
use in my writing the first version instead of second
one. But wait for other responses from professionals on
this server because I'm not sure that I can give you
good answer by studying English only for two years.
> Hello everyone.
>
> Today I want to learn about the subjunctive mood.
>
> Is the following sentence grammatically incorrect?
>
> (1)The little child is lonely; he would be happier if he had someone that he
> can play with.
>
> Some reference books insist that we should say "could play with" instead of
> "can play with". But some other grammar books argue that there is no need to
> do so.
>
> I have thought that (1) is correct. Am I wrong?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> SIRAISI Tomio