AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE FLAWED METAPHORS OF KATY PERRY: There are many reasons to dislike the incredibly derivative rock stylings of Nickelback, but
their current hit's lack of command of the subjunctive mood is yet another. The chorus proclaims:
If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, what if, if today was your last day?
Shouldn't each and every one of those "was"es be replaced with "were,"
to properly use the subjunctive "to express wishes, commands, emotion, possibility, judgment, opinion, necessity, or statements that are contrary to fact at present?"
No comments:
Post a Comment