If MS Ferarro were literate, she would not have said "was" unless she was both a politician and speaking to a not-that-literate audience. [Note: my comment lacks parallelism.] Scott ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:06:25 -0500 From: DD Farms <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Subjunctive At 12:47 PM 3/12/2008, Kathleen M. Ward wrote: >. . .(she should have said "If Obama were a white >man") but the subjunctive has been disappearing from English for >centuries now. I think it has become pretty rare in speech. (I >take it that this was an interview quotation?) DD: I think it was during an interview. I admit that I am 77, raised by elderly Southern Gentry, parents, both teachers, born about 1887, of a family of educators. (Think McCallie School in Chattanooga.) Alas, I am out of touch with the current High Standard. To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ ------------------------------ End of ATEG Digest - 11 Mar 2008 to 12 Mar 2008 (#2008-63) ********************************************************** To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/