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I'm very doubtful about the use of the subjunctive mood in this particular case. I wrote "I was wondering if it were correct" and someone said it's wrong because I should've used "was" instead of "were". Is it true? and where can I read more about this?

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    At the moment, we're unable to move it automatically for you, but you should ask this question on our sister site instead: [ELL.se]. The correct word is, in the majority of cases, indeed "was". The guys at ELL can tell you why in more detail. – Dan Bron Jun 08 '15 at 22:34
  • This is certainly not a question for ELL; the previous answers deal with it well. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 08 '15 at 22:42
  • @EdwinAshworth But it is a user for ELL, and I wanted to introduce him to that site. – Dan Bron Jun 08 '15 at 22:43
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    'But you should ask this question on our sister site instead' seems pretty dismissive to me. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 08 '15 at 22:49
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    @EdwinAshworth I'm not notified of your replies unless you @-mention my username. And I intentionally and deliberately introduced that clause with a preamble and closed my comment by literally answering the question, specifically so that OP wouldn't feel like he was being dismissed. He wasn't. Being pointed to ELL, a site dedicated to helping non-native speakers hone and refine their English, is not an indictment or a punishment. I make a policy of generally-welcoming and warm comments to new users. I only get brusque when they demonstrate obstinacy or a contrarian attitude, which OP hasn't. – Dan Bron Jun 08 '15 at 22:56
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    @Dan Bron How on earth can you judge that this person is 'a user for ELL' when they ask a question that elicited some subtly layered responses, and ask it in a way that would put many new enquirers to shame? – Edwin Ashworth Jun 08 '15 at 23:15
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    @EdwinAshworth There are, currently, 3 close-votes on this question, so it seems I'm not alone in what you term my "judgement". Second, I think you're not getting that I didn't suggest OP ask the question on ELL because I don't want it here, but because I think he will get better answers there, because there is an active community of people who have learned, through daily practice, how to explain things clearly to non-native speakers. Why do I believe he's a non-native speaker? I don't have a doubt about that. – Dan Bron Jun 08 '15 at 23:21
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    @Dan Bron The close-vote reasons of some might be due to the fact that this complex question has been answered here before. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 08 '15 at 23:26
  • @DanBron I find it highly offensive of you to talk about me the way you're doing. And it did feel dismissive. How could you judge someone as a non-native speaker? lol. For all you know I might be a kid somewhere in England having a doubt after a debate on whether to use or not the subjunctive mood. –  Jun 08 '15 at 23:35
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    @mircer Glad you came back to engage with your question. That's rarer than you think it is. And I'm sorry you found my comment dismissive, but as you can see by my exchange with Edwin, I deliberately set out to avoid that impression and make you feel welcome (though it appears I have failed; can't win them all). And I have to make inferences from the evidence available to me, and the evidence available to me, starting with the idiom "I have a doubt", led me to believe you are a native of India. Of course, it's possible I'm wrong about that as well, but I do the best I can. – Dan Bron Jun 08 '15 at 23:38
  • @DanBron I'm from Naples, Italy. Lmao. –  Jun 08 '15 at 23:51
  • @mircer I didn't make any assertions about where you reside or are located. But interesting; I'm always glad to learn the details of users' lives. Hope the links helped answer your question. – Dan Bron Jun 08 '15 at 23:53
  • @danbron I edited my question so as to make it sound less Italian as possibile. Thank you for having corrected me. I got to learn something new :) –  Jun 09 '15 at 00:05
  • @mircer No problem. If you decide to stick around, we have a couple of regular, highly active users who either are native Italian speakers or live in Italy. One of them teaches EFL to Italian students. – Dan Bron Jun 09 '15 at 00:07
  • An issue with moving this question to ELL is that if I find a good answer on ELU, I am just going to point the asker back to ELU's answer or answers. @DanBron etc... I don't know why you just don't dupe it here. – pazzo Jun 09 '15 at 00:12
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    @pazzo At this point, the question will likely be closed as a dupe, so the "move to ELL" question is moot (because ELL is still Beta, only mods can move questions there anyway). I'm just happy to have had an opportunity to introduce a well-spoken and motived ELL to, well, ELL. – Dan Bron Jun 09 '15 at 00:14

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