Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/.
If we do not hit our goal we will be forced to close the site.

Current status: https://keepboardsalive.com/

Annual subs are best for most impact. If you are still undecided on going Ad Free - you can also donate using the Paypal Donate option. All contribution helps. Thank you.

https://www.boards.ie/group/1878-subscribers-forum

Private Group for paid up members of Boards.ie. Join the club.

A Simple Question

Damo123 · 2010-03-27 18:20:10

A simple question. Emmm so Im wondering why people say the word "one" when they are talking about people? Like "one would do well to heed my advice" or "if one so desires then I shall".. I just dont get it. I looked on wikipedia and I couldnt find anything... Im hoping maybe somebody here can help me.

Comments

#32 17-04-2010 07:29PM

Donkey Oaty

Closed Accounts Posts: 4,533 ✭✭✭

Join Date: March 2010

Posts: 4512

We're talking about the subjunctive here. "If I were unable to travel" is the technically correct form, although a lot of people do use "If I was" in this case and the world still carries on as normal.

Whether it sounds better, well, your ears are as good as anyone else's. But they usually mean different things.

Example 1
If I were rude to you then - e.g. "you would not like it" - but I would never be rude to you.

Example 2
If I was rude to you then - e.g. "I'm sorry" - it is something that may have happened in the past, unlike example 1.

Hope that makes sense.

0