In addition to forming recommendations and requests, the subjunctive mood is also used to talk about hypothetical situations.
When you use 'if' to talk about something that is not factual, put the verb in the subjunctive mood.
Note that the following sentences use the past subjunctive form of the verb 'be' instead of the standard past tense ('I was, he was').
- If I were you, I would tell her the truth. (Fact: I am not you)
- What would happen if he were elected president? (Fact: he was not elected)
Use 'as if' with linking verbs like 'look', 'feel', and 'seem', to describe some state using some other state that is not true. The structure is: as if + [subject] + [subjunctive verb]. Some native speakers say 'as though' instead of 'as if'.
- He looks as if he were 70 years old. (= He is not 70 years old. But appears similar to a 70-year-old.)
- After I won the race, I felt as though I were dreaming. (= I am not dreaming. But my feeling is similar to dreaming.)
We can also use 'as if/though' to describe actions using some state:
- She acts as if she were the boss.
- They yelled as though they were in danger.
Subjunctive in Everyday Speech
In everyday speech, it is becoming more acceptable to not use the subjunctive mood. For instance some native speakers say "If I was you, I would tell her the truth" and "He looks as if/like he is 70 years old." (In everyday speech, we can also replace 'as if' with 'like'.)
