John,

If the main clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause would still
be subjunctive: "If he were sober" rather than "if he was sober." But like
you I would use the perfect subjunctive ("had he been sober" or "If he had
been sober") when the main clause is past tense.

Dick


On Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 12:16 AM, John Chorazy
<[log in to unmask]>wrote:

Dick - if the event in question happened in the past, as in the second
>> sentence model, would you write "He would have acted differently if he was
>> sober"? This is a construction I see more commonly. Though, I might
>> construct it differently still: "Had he been sober, he would have acted
>> differently."
>>
> John
>
>
>> Subjunctive mood is generally used for counter-factuals. Declarative mood
>> is used for factual events or events of unknown factuality, including those
>> that follow "if." So I'd write:
>>
>>    - He would be acting differently if he were sober.
>>    - He can't remember if he was at the party.
>>
>> Dick
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 27, 2011 at 4:48 PM, Michael Kischner <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>>
>> I want to write a gentle respond to someone who wrote to my college alumni
>> magazine in great dismay over this sentence in its last issue:  "You
>> wouldn't be reading this magazine if Kenyon wasn't special to you."  She
>> asserts, "The word 'if' always takes the subjunctive.. . . I would expect no
>> less than proper grammar in our alumni magazine!"
>>
>> Does somebody have a good feel for where things stand on this now?  In the
>> latest edition of Martha Kolln's book that I have (7th; 2006), Martha says
>> that "was" is "fairly common" in certain "If" sentences --"If Joe was here,
>> he'd agree with me" -- but that, in writing,"the subjunctive *were* is
>> the standard form."  Edith Wollin says pretty much the same thing in the
>> latest edition of the textbook she and I co-authored.  I'd like to know how
>> others are seeing it.
>>
>> Edith tells me that Dick Veit sent a very interesting message to this list
>> about the subjunctive.  I missed it.  Dick, if you see this and can find
>> your email, would you mind re-sending?
>>
>>  Thanks!
>>
>>

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