Which is right to say and WHY?

Question

1. if only my son "is" listening now.

2. if only my son "was" listening now.

Answer 1

was

Answer 2

Neither is correct.

"If only my son is listening" doesn't make any sense at all, to be honest. "If only" precedes what is called the subjunctive, which, for the verb to be, does not match up with the present tense (is).

"If only my son was listening" still doesn't work because the subjunctive demands "were" for ALL persons.

SUBJUNCTIVE

If only I were

If only you were

If only he/she were

If only we/you/they were

The subjunctive is for hypothetical, wishful situations. "If I were a ballerina..." "If only he could go to his desired college." (Here it really shows that the subjunctive is different, because we don't say "If only he can go".)

ADDED:

I thought of something: there is a situation where you could use the first you provided, but not with the periods. They would be cases where you are meaning that your son is/was the only person listening. Example:

If only my son is listening now, what's the point of reading the story out loud?

or

If only my son is listening now, then everybody else is missing out.

Your second sentence could not work in this sort of situation because of the 'now' after the verb; it means *now*, as in present tense, and 'was' is past tense.

Answer 3

was OR were: both are right; 'were' is more formal.

Answer 4

Neither.

It would be if only my son "were" listening, because it's conditional.

Answer 5

Number 2, cause he isn't listening now so it isn't happening in the present.

Answer 6

the first one

Answer 7

were

Answer 8

If only my son were listening now.

Answer 9

Were is the most intelligent way to say this. It is proper English.

Answer 10

Was; past tense, "listening" denotes the past.