Today's topic is whether it's okay to switch verb tenses and conditional sentences.

It all started with a grammar question about was and were.

On the grammar girl Facebook page, Veronica wanted to know whether she should write if the

test was re-administered or if the test were re-administered.

So on the Facebook page where Veronica wanted to know whether she should write if the test

was re-administered or if the test were re-administered, Ellen responded that it should be if the

test were re-administered.

Noting that were is the form of B, you use when you're talking about a hypothetical situation.

That's true, at least if you're talking about present or future time.

If it's unlikely that the test will be re-administered, but you're considering the remote

possibility, you'd say if the test were re-administered.

It's called using the subjunctive mode and we covered it back in episode 160, subjunctive

verbs.

On the Facebook discussion, I added one clarification that you could also say if the test was re-administered,

if you're talking about something in the past that actually might have happened.

The example I gave was if the test was re-administered Tuesday, the answer key will be locked

in Professor Hildes' room, otherwise Professor Stockton will have it.

But my example opened up another issue for Luther, also known as the grammar geek, who

wrote on his blog, quote,

I'm instantly drawn to the mismatch between was and will be, which breaks my first

commandment of grammar, thou shalt not mix verb tenses, unquote.

He argued that because the verb in the if clause is in the past tense, if the test was

...