grammar experts needed?

Question

please don't answer this unless you're ABSOLUTELY SURE.

"I wondered if anything were wrong." is a sentence I found in a reputable review book. Since anything is singular, why isn't the "were" a "was"? I don't think this is a hypothetical condition...help!

Answer 1

It is the subjunctive mood rather than the indicative mood with which we are mostly familiar. There is a lovely set of subjunctives in Macbeth "If it were done, when 'tis done, 'twere well it were done quickly."



Other forms of the subjunctive are

Go away! (and all 2nd person imperatives)

Manners be hanged! (and similar 3rd person imprecations)

Come what may; Be that as it may; Far be it from me

She'll be seventeen come Sunday.

I move that Mr Smith be appointed Chairman

Though all care be exercised



There are others and it seems to be having a revival. It is worth looking up to find when you should and shouldn't use it.

Answer 2

I feel that this is something about which I'm supposed to be able to rattle off the answer, and feel stupid when I can't. But, you use the "were" with certain "if" sentences, and not always. For instance, you use it when you're talking about something that isn't so, but are expressing what would happen if it were so. We all know the song, "If I Were a Carpenter". . . . . How awful would "If I Was a Carpenter" sound?! So I can't tell you the rule and am embarrassed that I can't, but you can bet I'm going to find out. Your sentence in question sounds right to me.

Answer 3

To me, it would be a case of being hyper-correct (that is, not correct but trying to sound correct). I found confirmation here:

http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/061.html



"Another traditional rule states that you are not supposed to use the subjunctive following verbs such as ask or wonder in if clauses that express indirect questions, even if the content of the question is presumed to be contrary to fact: We wondered if dinner was (not were) included in the room price. "



Now, grammar 'experts' are not always in agreement, so you might also find a grammar that goes against the above!

Answer 4

This refers to the idea that there may be multiple things wrong, if this is the case then the sentence is correct. Sentences like this are permissable, but not common. That's why it caused you to do a double take.



Good question, by the way.

Answer 5

I'm very confident the sentence you provided is correct: in the past subjunctive and third person, the verb "to be" becomes "were".

Answer 6

The book made a mistake.



"Were" is suppose to be replaced by "was." Unless it is suppose to be "I wondered if anything went wrong."



Don't worry about it. Most of the books have mistakes. We're human. We're not perfect. We all make mistakes. :-)

Answer 7

"Was" just doesn't sound right.

It's one of many incongruities of the language.