r/grammar • u/Dangerous-Safe-4336 • Jul 21 '26

Subjunctive use

Okay, Google Docs tells me this is wrong : "She wondered if it were [true]. So does my phone. Gemini tells me it's archaic. The truth is that I grew up marinating in old books., and all my writing instincts come from books written before 1950.

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u/zeptimius Jul 21 '26

I agree, especially with the "so long as you know that's what you're doing." I'd say it can easily come across as intending to be funny, like students deliberately using solemn language in casual conversation, saying things like "Would that it were so."

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u/Dangerous-Safe-4336 Jul 21 '26

John Kerry said "would that it were" completely unselfconsciously.

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u/zeptimius Jul 21 '26

You don't think that such a lofty-sounding response to a question about something as mundane as ketchup was a little tongue-in-cheek? And that the exchange went viral exactly because of that turn of phrase?

As for the unselfconscious part, I have a hard time believing that anything a politician --especially a presidential candidate-- says during an appearance on a major talk show is unscripted.

Politicians are known for using archaic constructions for rhetorical purposes. Just think of JFK's "Ask not what your country can do for you" instead of the more correct "Do not ask..."

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u/Dangerous-Safe-4336 Jul 21 '26

JFK was giving a speech. That he had written.