The Subjunctive Mood

The forms of the Subjunctive Mood.

The most common forms of the Subjunctive Mood may be referred to as the Present Subjunctive, the Past Subjunctiveandthe Perfect Subjunctive.

The Present Subjunctive Mood has the same form as the Infinitive without to:

Though all the world be false, still will I be true.

In complex sentences after that-clause it may also have the form of the auxiliaries should, would, may (might) or shall (now very seldom) and the Infinitive of the notional verb:

I recommend thatthe plans (should) be carried through. (The verb should is often omitted).

The Past Subjunctivehas the same form asthe Past Indefinite, exceptthe verb to be that has the form were for all the persons singular and plural:

I wish he workedharder. (but he doesn’t)

I wish he were less remote.(but he is not)

I wish you were here. (but you are not)

The Perfect Subjunctive has the same forms as the Past Perfect:

If only he had worked harder (but he didn’t)

If I had visited him yesterday! (but I didn’t)

He speaks about it as if he had seen it himself (but he didn’t)

The use of the Subjunctive Mood.

The Subjunctive Mood may be used nowadays in simple sentences to express hope, wish or prayer (the Present Subjunctive) as in:

God save the Queen! God forgive you! Manners be hanged!

But mostly the Subjunctive Mood is used in complex sentences:

· in that-clauses expressing resolution, recommendation, command or necessity (the Present Subjunctive):

The judge demands that the prisoner tell the truth.

I insist that he (should) meet me;

· in if-clauses and after the verb to wish (see Unit 7) to denote an unreal condition referring to the present or future or to the past if the verb in the if-clause expresses an action simultaneous with the action in the principal clause (the Past Subjunctive):

If I were young!

I wish I werea gipsy.

I wished hewereless remote.

He wished she would stop thanking him.

· in conditional sentences both in the subordinate clause (if-clause) to express an unreal condition, and in the principal (main) clause to express an unreal consequence (see Units 2-6):

1) If she were here, you would notice him. (The Past Subjunctive)

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1432