A Lesson in Linguistics

Hello, everyone! Just in case you can't already tell by the title of this entry, This is Liz. I was just thinking about some linguistic things and I thought I'd share a bit of my knowledge with all of you (I'm not trying to sound pretentious).
Many of you are familiar with the subjunctive mood through your studies of foreign languages like French and Spanish. But did you know that English retains the remnants of a subjunctive mood?
First, maybe I should briefly explain what the subjunctive mood is. The subjunctive is used to express many different aspects of an idea, action, or thing that could happen but has not. Its easiest description is that it expresses a dream or wish. Many idioms contain the subjunctive mood; "God save the queen," "Heaven help us," and "Be that as it may" all contain the subjunctive mood. "Save," "help," and "be" are in the subjunctive even though they look just like they do when used in the indicative mood (which is used most often--our main past, present, and future tenses are here). Because so many of our verbs are in the same form in both the indicative present and subjunctive present, it is difficult to spot the subjunctive when it is used. The interesting thing is that only the "be" verb retains the past tense in the subjunctive mood ("if I were to go..."), even though it has nothing really to do with the past. So, to continue with my discussion.
Many linguists have simply declared that English has no subjunctive, but there are these few idiomatic terms, along with the "be" verb, that have kept the subjunctive mood from completely dying out in English. It's amazing, once you know how to use the subjunctive properly, how many places it ought to be used in our language. The debate about this mood dying out centers around the fact that it is being used less and less. Here's an example of this decline:"If I were a rich man..." is an expression that shows that the speaker is not a rich man, but he is about to talk about how things would be if he were one. Interestingly enough, this song was recently redone by Gwen Stefani and the phrase was changed to "If I was a rich girl...." No one, however, mentioned the discrepancy because the indicative "was" is starting to be preferred to the subjunctive "were."
Perhaps another reason for this switch owes to the difficulty of deciding when to use the subjunctive versus the indicative. If something actually happened in the past, then the indicative is used, but if something could have occurred but didn't, or is not likely to occur in the future, then the subjunctive is used.
Confused yet?
What got me started on all of this was an example that I found that went against the changing of the times. I happen to have both the original and redone versions of a seventies song called "Tell Me Something Good," and I was listening to the older version and noticed that they said "I'll make you wish there was 48 hours to each day." I got curious, being who I am, and switched to the other version to see if it was the same (you catch that? I used the indicative there). I was surprised to find that, in the new version, they changed the indicative to the correct subjunctive by saying "there were 48 hours...." Interesting that the new version is actually using the correct form. But here's my question: were they trying to switch it to the subjunctive mood, or were they trying to make that verb agree with the plural "48 hours" following it? Stroke of luck? Maybe. I'd be happy if they were actually thinking about the subjunctive when they changed it though.
So, to those of you who are still reading this (congrats!) sorry to bore you! Maybe you have an opinion about it though. If you do then let me know. I love talking about the subjunctive mood, even though I confuse myself if I think too much about it.
Much love!
Liz

Scholarship surprise

Ok everyone. So yesterday morning I got a message from the University in my inbox telling me to go to my finacial center online because I had a message there waiting for me. So, expecting a demand for more money I obeyed and proceeded to my finacial center online. I found that there was a charge for me to pay for my rented computer but I also found that I did indeed have a message from the BYU Scholarship program. Expecting yet another rejection, I proceeded to the message. To my everlasting surprise, these words were staring me in the face,"Mary,Congratulations! You have been awarded a scholarship in the amount of full LDS tuition for Spring and Summer Terms." Shocked and amazed, I wanted to brush it off as an april fool's joke. But that day was April 2nd and that would just be cruel. However, being almost late for class, I had to close the message and start my journey to my class. I was deep in thought for the entire class period and I was unsure of what to do about this seemingly unbelievable event. Later, when it all finally sunk in, I started to understand the significance of this offer and that it was a wonderful opportunity. So, after much thought and prayer, I have decided to stay here in Provo to take classes in the Spring and Summer. I am sorry to say that if I have made plans with you for this summer in California, they will most likely be cancelled. This saddens me deeply but I know that this is an opportunity that could possibly never happen again and I need to take advantage of it. Thank you all for your love and support. I hope that we can make plans again for another summer when I return home to California.
I love you all and I miss you!
Love, Mary

My Health Class

Ok everyone. I'm taking a health class that is online right now and it has been really interesting. There is alot of information about my health that has been really useful and I think it might be useful for you too. so, I dont know how to attach the lessons to a post but I can email them to you. The only problem would be that the class ends at the end of the semester and I have them saved to my rented computer that i will have to give back at the end of the semester. I think it would be really useful to everyone so if you are interested, just let me know and I will email you the lessons. They are kind of long but you can skip to the important parts. ok love you all!
-Mary

Oscars Night

Hello everyone! This is Liz! I'm sure you've all heard by now that I've started dating someone. His name is Cameron Lewis and he's great! I just wanted to post a pic so you can see what he looks like. This picture was taken when we went to my ward's Oscars Night--a real big to-do with the red carpet and nice dresses and such. IT was a lot of fun! I'm also including some other pics too. Love you all!

My life

Hey everybody, Mary here. Just letting you know that I'm still alive. I've got a little bit of a cold right now but I'm doing my best to get over it. My job is fun most of the time. If you dont know, I work at a bridal shop here in Provo. The woman who owns it really wants to sell her business. She also has a backdrop business that she wants to sell. If you dont know, backdrops are what people use for receptions to decorate the room they are in. So, if you are interested in buying a bridal shop I would be willing to run the place for you. I really doubt that is a possibility but its worth a try and it would ensure liz and I a job for the rest of our college careers.
I'm doing pretty good in school lately. My grades are better than ever! I'm really happy with what I am doing here in Provo but I am also really excited to move home for the summer. I hope that I will be able to spend time with all of you while I'm there. I will be turning 20 in a little bit too and i'm pretty excited about that. You dont have to get me anything(not that you were going to). All i need from you is your love and best wishes. I miss you all and I love you! I'm gonna try and get some rest now to get over this cold. Bye!

California

Hello everyone, this is Liz! I miss and love you all! I have a special request of all of you: Could you please suggest good California songs for a special California playlist I'm making? That would be great! Love ya!

Michael Jackson Rocks

Yes I (Liz) truly believe. Mary and I and my roommate JilliAnne did a dance to Michael Jackson's "Bad" for our ward talent show yesterday. We messed up a little because we were nervous but it was really fun!
leave us comments, and we love you all!