Were Something - Was something

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Were Something - Was something
Message de cyrillus posté le 25-01-2026 à 15:04:17 (S | E | F)
Hi everybody,
I've just started reading the Michael Connelly's book "The burning room".
I've found in it the sentence below which seems weird to me:
"She asked it as if there were something else going on between them."

If I would have to write this sentence I would have type:
"She asked it as if there was something else going on between them."
or
"She asked it as if there were somethings else going on between them."

Am I wrong or right please?
Thank.

Réponse : Were Something - Was something de gerold, postée le 25-01-2026 à 16:45:27 (S | E)
Hello!

"She asked it as if there were something else going on between them."

Dans cette phrase, "were" est un subjonctif passé ("past subjunctive", employé pour décrire une situation hypothétique, irréelle ou contrefactuelle.
On l'emploie avec "if" (If I were rich), "wish" (I wish I were with you (regret)) et comme ici, "as if")

"She asked it as if there was something else going on between them" est acceptable dans la langue courante mais, si on souhaite parler et écrire un anglais élégant, "were" est préférable.

"She asked it as if there were somethings else going on between them." Non, il n'y a aucune raison d'ajouter -s à "something".

I've just started reading ~~the~~ Michael Connelly's book "The burning room".
If I ~~would have~~ had to write this sentence I would ~~have~~ type:

Réponse : Were Something - Was something de cyrillus, postée le 25-01-2026 à 18:39:15 (S | E)
Thanks a lot!

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