Is Michael Phelps the greatest Olympian of all time?

[mjdgreg]

Sorry mjdgreg, not being a brain dead sheep...

 No, I haven't read and have no intention of ever reading 50 shades of shite..

I just have an increasingly low tolerance for nonsense.

I'd get a second opinion on that reversal operation if I was you.

[Donnywolf]

Sorry mjdgreg, not being a brain dead sheep...

 No, I haven't read and have no intention of ever reading 50 shades of shite..

I just have an increasingly low tolerance for nonsense.

I'd get a second opinion on that reversal operation if I was you.

Sorry mjdgreg, not being a brain dead sheep...

 No, I haven't read and have no intention of ever reading 50 shades of shite..

I just have an increasingly low tolerance for nonsense.

I'd get a second opinion on that reversal operation if I was you.

Should that be WERE you.

.... any Hippo available to quote ?

[mjdgreg]

Should that be WERE you.

I'd say both were correct. Americans would say you were correct. Grammatically speaking, 'If I were you' is the subjunctive mood and 'If I was you' is the simple past. Hope this helps.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Mick.

Do you remember Roy Castle on Record Breakers?
"Obfuscation. Obfuscation. Obfuscation - that's what you need.
If you're getting beat hands down.
If you're looking like a clown.
Obfuscation's what you need".

As I say, Grammar Nazis are a particularly pathetic form of Intetnet uni-cellular life. However, you DID insist on correct use of English, and if you live by the sword, you are going to die by it too.

Your Google search was indeed correct that "if I was" is simple past and "if I were" is subjunctive. A shame then, that you didn't go on to look up what these actually mean.

Simple past, when used with "if" would be used to counter an accusation. For example "If I was wrong, then I apologise and will stop making a prick of myself in future." (NB: I accept that you personally may struggle to understand the sense of that sentence, since empirical evidence suggests that you are not capable of empathising with its meaning, but I'm sure everyone else will follow it just fine.)

The subjunctive "were" however, is used with "if" in order to set up a hypothetical situation and explore its consequences. For example, I might say "If I were you, I'd stop making a regular public idiot of myself old boy."

So, unless someone has accused you of actually being Jucy at some time in the past and you were answering that accusation, "if I was you" is incorrect.

Clear enough? Or does Mick have a different definition of simple past and subjunctive to the rest of the English speaking world?

[mjdgreg]

As I say, Grammar Nazis are a particularly pathetic form of Intetnet uni-cellular life.

I agree. You and DONNYWOLF need to give it a rest. If I was like you I would have pointed out to DONNYWOLF that 'WERE' should have been 'were'.

[BillyStubbsTears]

As I say, Grammar Nazis are a particularly pathetic form of Intetnet uni-cellular life.

I agree. You and DONNYWOLF need to give it a rest. If I was like you I would have pointed out to DONNYWOLF that 'WERE' should have been 'were'.

But Mick.

I thought you were of the opinion that rigorously correct use of the English language was essential?

Did you not say recently, "The standard of grammar on this forum really does make my piss boil"?

Did you not several months ago advise a poster on this site that "You also need to bursh (sic) up a bit on your poor grammar"?

So, you have considerable previous as a Grammar Nazi. But all of a sudden, when you yourself make an egregious mistake, poor grammar is no longer important? Correct?

Have you ever heard of Skitt's Law by the way? It's an observation that any bell end who starts pulling apart someone's grammar on the internet in an effort to make themselves look self-important will inevitably end up making a stupid grammatical mistake themselves.

Whilst we're on the subject, have you ever heard of Danth's Law? The observation that when people on internet forums start claiming that they have won an argument, it means that they have made a fool of themselves and lost an argument.

You are a prime example of Skitt's Law and Danth's Law Mick. In fact the only Law you haven't embodied so far is Jude Law, but given your multiple personalities, I'm sure you will eventually.

[mjdgreg]

That's a big claim, can you back it up?

All you have to do is read my posts and it's obvious what I say is fact.

[RedJ]

Sir Chris Hoy anyone?

[The L J Monk]

Sir Chris Hoy anyone?

Chris Hoy has never beaten Plato in a bike race.

[Filo]

Sir Chris Hoy anyone?

Chris Hoy has never beaten Plato in a bike race.

I`m sure he would have if Plato had a bike!

[The L J Monk]

Sir Chris Hoy anyone?

Chris Hoy has never beaten Plato in a bike race.

I`m sure he would have if Plato had a bike!

It's a crying shame, but we will never know for sure, one way or the other.

[GM-MarkB]

Doesn't Plato race Touring Cars ?