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Understanding the Subjunctive Mood

The document discusses the subjonctive mood in English grammar. It outlines two main types: 1) Synthetical Subjunctive, which has three tenses - present, past, and past perfect. It is used in conditional clauses and after expressions like "wish" and "as if". 2) Analytical Subjunctive, which uses auxiliary verbs followed by infinitives. It discusses the uses of "should", "may/might", and "will/would, can/could" in the analytical subjunctive.

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Mirela Anghelache
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68 views2 pages

Understanding the Subjunctive Mood

The document discusses the subjonctive mood in English grammar. It outlines two main types: 1) Synthetical Subjunctive, which has three tenses - present, past, and past perfect. It is used in conditional clauses and after expressions like "wish" and "as if". 2) Analytical Subjunctive, which uses auxiliary verbs followed by infinitives. It discusses the uses of "should", "may/might", and "will/would, can/could" in the analytical subjunctive.

Uploaded by

Mirela Anghelache
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

I. Synthetical Subjunctive: it is of 3 main types 1. Present Subjunctive It has the same form with the short infinitive in all persons and numbers. It is used mainly in the official style in British English, but in American English it is quite frequent. e.g. It is necessary that we all be present. I recommended that he go there alone. Long live the king! 2. Past Subjunctive It coincides in form with the Past of the Indicative mood, except for the verb to be which has the form were for all persons and numbers. It has present time reference. It is used: a) in conditional clauses (type 2) e.g. If I were you, I would do it. b) after the verb wish e.g. I wish he were here. c) after it is (high/ about) time e.g. Its time we left. d) after as if/ as though e.g. She acts as if she were a queen. e) after would rather (when there are two different subjects) e.g. I would rather you stayed at home. 3. Past Perfect Subjunctive It coincides with the Past Perfect of the Indicative mood. It is used in all the cases mentioned for Past Subjunctive, but it has past time reference. e.g. If I had known that, I would have come. (conditional clause type 3) I wish you had been here yesterday. He speaks as though he had witnessed the accident. I would rather you had returned earlier.

II. Analytical Subjunctive: it is built with various auxiliary verbs, followed by a present or a perfect infinitive 1. SHOULD a) after adjectives like important, necessary, recommendable, advisable, etc. e.g. It is important that you should come. b) after verbs expressing an order, a request, a command, such as to suggest, to insist, to require, to demand, etc. e.g. He asked that I should not tell that to anybody. c) in Purpose Clauses, especially in the negative ones e.g. I did it so that I should not upset her. I did it lest I should upset her. 2. MAY/ MIGHT a) after adjectives like possible, probable, likely e.g. It is likely that he may miss the train. b) after verbs expressing fear e.g. I fear that the dog might bite me. c) in concessive clauses e.g. Although she may be old/ Old as she may be/ However old she may be, she is very healthy. d) in Purpose Clauses e.g. They do it so that you may be happy. 3. WILL/ WOULD, CAN/ COULD: used mostly in Purpose Clauses e.g. Draw the curtain so that the room will get darker. Open the window so that we can breathe more fresh air.

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