In what tense is this?

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uri - 30 Oct 2008 05:04 GMT

In what tense is this "If she was to be with you..."? What is the
function of "to be" in this sentence?

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Derek Turner - 30 Oct 2008 09:14 GMT

> In what tense is this "If she was to be with you..."? What is the
> function of "to be" in this sentence?

Tense = ignorant. Mood = subjunctive. It should read 'if she were to be
with you...' To be has its usual meaning.

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CDB - 31 Oct 2008 00:51 GMT

>> In what tense is this "If she was to be with you..."? What is the
>> function of "to be" in this sentence?
>
> Tense = ignorant. Mood = subjunctive. It should read 'if she were
> to be with you...' To be has its usual meaning.

Derek is almost certainly right, but you have not given us enough
context to be sure. There are contexts in which the words you posted
would be correct. Gee, I wonder if this was one of them.

The idiom you're asking about doesn't turn on "to be", but on "was
to". Any form of the verb "be", followed by the infinitive, refers to
firm expectation. Since she is to be (will be) Queen of the May, she
is to be (must be) wakened early for the festival. He is to be hanged
tomorrow. If she was to be (if it was intended/understood that she
would be) with you, then why have you come without her?

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CDB - 31 Oct 2008 16:05 GMT

>>> In what tense is this "If she was to be with you..."? What is the
>>> function of "to be" in this sentence?

>> Tense = ignorant. Mood = subjunctive. It should read 'if she were
>> to be with you...' To be has its usual meaning.

> [context]

> The idiom you're asking about doesn't turn on "to be", but on "was
> to". Any form of the verb "be", followed by the infinitive, refers
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> intended/understood that she would be) with you, then why have you
> come without her?

I see on rereading that all the examples I gave use the infinitive of
"to be". That was not intentional, and the infinitive can be that of
any verb: since she is to go, let her start now; Mother said I am to
have two desserts; I hear that Americans are to elect a new president
next week. Note that it would not be correct to say "Americans are to
elect Obama next week": the expectation is not firm enough. I feel
that there is a sense almost of inevitability in the idiom.

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John Holmes - 31 Oct 2008 14:26 GMT

>> In what tense is this "If she was to be with you..."? What is the
>> function of "to be" in this sentence?
>
> Tense = ignorant.

Not nesser celery. We need to know more of the context and what meaning
was intended.

As it stands, it seems to mean "If it was intended that she should be
with you...", and that would be perfectly correct.

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Regards
John
for mail: my initials plus a u e
at tpg dot com dot au

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Derek Turner - 31 Oct 2008 16:18 GMT

>>> In what tense is this "If she was to be with you..."? What is the
>>> function of "to be" in this sentence?
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> As it stands, it seems to mean "If it was intended that she should be
> with you...", and that would be perfectly correct.

Whatever. It's good job uri is always careful to give us plenty of
context otherwise we'd be buggered.

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John O'Flaherty - 30 Oct 2008 16:59 GMT

>In what tense is this "If she was to be with you..."? What is the
>function of "to be" in this sentence?

Where did you see it?

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John

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / October 2008

In what tense is this?