EnglishVod.net>第三部分 虚拟语气

Subjunctive Mood 

When Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof sings, "If I were a rich man . . . ," he uses the verb were to signal that he is, in fact, not a rich man. Normally, the verb was would be used with the subject I, but were serves a special purpose. This is called the subjunctive were. It indicates a condition that is contrary to fact.

Examples: 
　　If I were a cat, I could sleep all day long and never have to worry about work. 
　　If he were more attentive to details, he could be a copyeditor.