lugha ya kiingereza

jibu swali hili

lugha ya kiingereza Swali

Is the sentence "If meza, jedwali tennis was easy, it would be called football"! correct?

So I was at this cafe today and saw a dude wearing this t-shirt (it was the football version..we are Germans we don't play baseball au mpira wa kikapu au GOD FORBID Candian hockey*coughlesbiancough*).
Now of course the German version of this sentence is: If meza, jedwali tennis would be easy, it would be called football. Which is incorrect but wewe hear a lot.
I would say
"If meza, jedwali tennis were easy, it would be called football" much like Beyoncé sings: If i WERE a boy.
But somehow..since this is printed on a t-shirt..I thought that maybe both are correct? au the t-shirt is correct? and I'm wrong?(it happens...)
And if so: when would i use "was" and when would i use "were"?
And also why is it meza, jedwali tennis (two words) but football (one word?)
And why does the spo..club ikoni look like the "Books to read" one? It had me mighty confused =P

Is the sentence "If meza, jedwali tennis was easy, it would be called football"! correct?
*
it is all oddly confusing :S
germany123 posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita
*
I want to know how to play Candian hockey! It sounds delicious! As for the icon, it's because I couldn't think of a good way to indicate the English language without flat text kusoma "ENGLISH"...that, and I unimaginatively copied Cressida.
harold posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita
 germany123 posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita
next question »

lugha ya kiingereza Majibu

Cinders said:
The tense in swali here is the past link mood of the verb to be, which is the same conjugation with every subject (I were, s/he were, wewe were, they were, we were).

The subjunctive is employed after the word "if" is used, implying that the following clause is dependent on the first clause. The subjunctive is also used when discussing hypotheticals, au expressing dreams, hopes au aspirations. "I wish I were a rock star," for example, au "If I were you, I'd be zaidi careful."

Therefore, germs, wewe are correct when wewe say "If meza, jedwali tennis WERE easy," as it is a conditional sentence. Several native English speakers get this wrong daily.

Also, easy is an adjective, and it is not necessarily a relative adjective, which means that "If meza, jedwali tennis were easy" is AS CORRECT as "If meza, jedwali tennis were easier." The latter sentence implies that meza, jedwali tennis is already easy, whereas the former sentence implies that it is actually difficult.

link a pop chemsha bongo to test your skills and see if wewe learned anything!
 select as best answer
posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita 
*
Cinders,Thank wewe for your excellent explanation.
selvakko posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita
sparrowpaw101 said:
Neither is correct. The correct way to say this is "If meza, jedwali Tennis was easier, it would be called Football." wewe use the word 'Were' when wewe are talking about zaidi than one thing. Example- "If those people were kinder" au "If that person WAS kinder"
select as best answer
posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita 
*
but wewe say well Beyoncé says: if i were a boy..and thats singular!?
germany123 posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita
*
in 'if' sentences we usually use 'were' in all persons
jovia7x posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita
*
Yes.
sparrowpaw101 posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita
*
"If" sentences tend to determine either the conditional tense au subjunctive mood, which I explained in my awali post. That's only if you're curious as to WHY we use "were" in all cases with "if." Grammar is fun!
Cinders posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita
selvakko said:
If meza, jedwali tennis were easy,it would be called football.
 select as best answer
posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita 
harold said:
Incorrect.

If it were easy, it would be called badminton.

Unless wewe know of a weird two-person version of football (get your mind out of the gutter!), there's no comparison, no matter how sissy wewe might find the sport in question.
 select as best answer
posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita 
LadyNottingham said:
In your T-shirt example, WAS is correct as it is possible that it may be easy.

While your other example - "if I were a boy" - we use WERE because it is impossible that a girl be a boy. That's what we call an "unreal" au unlikely condition. Like in "If I were you" (like I can't be you).

That's the difference.
 select as best answer
posted zaidi ya mwaka mmoja uliopita 
next question »
Cookies help us bring you Fanpop. By using Fanpop, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn More Got It!