Category of voice in modern english

Subjunctive II
1. Subjunctive II represents an action as contrary to reality:
I wish he were with us (my desire contradicts the actual state of things–he is not with us). If he had been in town yesterday, he would have come (the condition stated in the ≪/-clause is an unreal condition–he was not in town yesterday).
2. Subjunctive II has two tenses: the present and the past.
The forms of the present subjunctive II do not differ from the forms of the past indicative. The only exception is the verb to be in which some forms of the present subjunctive II differ from the forms of the past indicative:
The present subjunctive II: / were, he (she, it) were.
The past indicative: / was, he (she, it) was.
The difference concerns only the singular; in the plural the forms of both moods coincide:
The present subjunctive II: we were, you were, they were.
The past indicative: we were, you were, they were.
In all the other verbs the forms of the present subjunctive II are homonymous with the forms of the past indicative.
The present subjunctive II: I spoke, I wrote.
The past indicative: I spoke, / wrote.
If it were not so late, I should stay. If I were not preparing for my report, 1 should gladly go with you. If he had lime, he would read this article today. If she understood the rule, she would not make these mistakes.
There is an increasing tendency to substitute the form was for were in the singular of the present subjunctive II on the analogy of all other verbs, in which subjunctive II is homonymous with the past indicative:
If I had time, 1 should go with you (the present subjunctive II).
I had no time yesterday (the past indicative). If I was (instead of were) at home, I should see her (the present subjunctive II). I was at home yesterday (the past indicative).
The past subjunctive II is homonymous with the past perfect indicative in all verbs:
I wish I had not mentioned it at all (the past subjunctive II).
She told me that she had not mentioned those facts in her report (the past perfect indicative).