student asking question

Could you explain a little bit more of "past subjunctive"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Although this sentence looks similar to a past subjunctive sentence, it is not a past subjunctive sentence. Past subjunctive sentences typically use "were", then "would" because they indicate a wish or hypothetical situation. This sentence indicates the real consequences of what would happen "if she loved him", which are "she would not need to know" (who he is). Here are some examples of what past subjunctive sentences should look like: Ex: If I were you, I wouldn't buy that. Ex: If she were to love him, he would love her back.

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