Abstract

The subjunctive were tends to be interchangeably used with the subjunctive was (e.g., If I were/was rich, I would buy you anything you wanted (Quirk et al., 1985)). According to Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage (1989), the subjunctive was started to be used instead of the subjunctive were at the end of the 16^th century and was frequently used by the end of the 17^th century. The dictionary also mentions that the subjunctive was was used for emphasis; however, tokens of the subjunctive was appeared in less formal language styles. It has been widely acknowledged that the subjunctives were and was are not interchangeable in phraseological units such as if I were you and as it were. Examining instances obtained from corpora, we see the interesting phenomenon of the subjunctive were being replaced by the subjunctive was in the phraseological unit if I were you. From these cases, it can be assumed that the subjunctive were is interchangeable with the subjunctive was in if I were/was you regardless of the registers in which it is used. This phenomenon can be accounted for by the merger of was and were. This study aims to descriptively show how as it were changed into as it was from a phraseological perspective. Furthermore, an analysis of corpora data allows us to explain in detail the actual behaviors of as it was and its relationship with as it were.

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