Question

Fill in the blank with the appropriate past subjunctive verb:
If I ______ rich, I would work much better.

• A. am
• B. was
• C. were
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

were

The past subjunctive is used to refer to unreal or improbable situations.

Option C is correct since the sentence expresses an unreal situation (the speaker is not rich in reality). The past subjunctive form of "to be" is always "were", regardless of the Person. Thus, the correct sentence is: If I were rich, I would work much better.

Options A and B are incorrect as the verbs are indicative (verbs that state facts) and not subjunctive.

Option D is incorrect since the correct option is C.