The Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood
is used to express a hypothetical or non-real action or state, and is often used to express doubt, uncertainty, or desire.
The verb to be is a particularly common verb used in the subjunctive mood.
Here are the forms of the subjunctive mood with the verb to be:
Present Subjunctive:
If I were you, I would take the job.
(The subjunctive form of to be in the present tense is were, which is used in the if-clause to express a hypothetical situation.)
It is important that he be on time for the meeting.
(The subjunctive form of to be in the present tense is be, which is used to express a non-real state or action.)
Past Subjunctive:
If he had been there, he could have helped us.
(The past subjunctive form of to be is had been, which is used in the if-clause to express a hypothetical past situation.)
It was suggested that he be more careful in the future. (The past subjunctive form of to be is be, which is used to express a non-real state or action in the past.)
It’s important to note that the use of the subjunctive mood with to be is becoming less common in modern English, and is often replaced with other constructions such as the indicative mood (e.g. If I was you) or the modal verb should(e.g. It is important that he should be on time).
However, in more formal or literary contexts, the subjunctive mood may still be used.
When an impersonal subordinate clause (such as it is necessary, it is desirable, or it is important) is followed by a subject clause introduced by the conjunction that, the subjunctive mood can be used to express a hypothetical or non-real action, state, or event.
Some examples of the subjunctive mood used in subject clauses after impersonal subordinate clauses:
It is necessary that he arrive on time.
(subjunctive form of to arrive in present tense)
It is desirable that he be more careful.
(subjunctive form of to be in present tense)
It is important that she finish the project by Friday.
(subjunctive form of to finish in present tense)
It was necessary that he have a passport in order to travel.
(subjunctive form of to have in past tense)
It was desirable that they speak French fluently.
(subjunctive form of to speak in past tense)
It was important that she not miss the deadline.
(subjunctive form of to miss in past tense)
Note that the subjunctive mood is not always used in these constructions, and it is becoming less common in modern English.
Instead, the indicative mood or modal verbs like should or would can also be used.
For example, instead of saying It is necessary that he arrive on time, one could also say It is necessary that he should arrive on time or It is necessary that he will arrive on time.
In object subordinate clauses, the subjunctive mood is also used to express hypothetical or non-real actions, states, or events.
The subjunctive is often used after certain verbs or expressions that express doubt, necessity, or desire, such as suggest, demand, require, insist, and so on.
Some examples of the subjunctive mood used in object subordinate clauses:
She demanded that he be there on time.
(subjunctive form of to be in present tense)
I suggest that he take a break.
(subjunctive form of to take in present tense)
The boss insisted that the report be finished by Friday.
(subjunctive form of to be in present tense)
It is necessary that he submit his application before the deadline.
(subjunctive form of to submit in present tense)
It is essential that she have a good understanding of the material.
(subjunctive form of to have in present tense)
The doctor recommended that he not eat anything for at least 12 hours before the procedure.
(subjunctive form of to eat in present tense)
Note that the subjunctive mood is not always used in object subordinate clauses, and its use is becoming less common in modern English.
Instead, other constructions such as the indicative mood, modal verbs, or gerunds can be used.
For example, instead of saying She demanded that he be there on time, one could also say She demanded him to be there on time.
However, it is still important to be familiar with the subjunctive mood and its uses in order to use it correctly in formal or literary contexts.
In the subjunctive mood, the verb to be is inflected differently from the indicative mood.
In the case of the verb to be, the past subjunctive form were is used for all persons (first, second, and third) in both singular and plural.
This is different from the indicative form, where was is used for the first and third persons singular (I/he/she/it was), and were is used for the second person singular and all plural persons (you/we/they were).
Some examples of the past subjunctive form were used in various persons:
If I were you, I would take that job offer.
(first person singular)
If you were more careful, you wouldn’t have made that mistake.
(second person singular)
If she were here, she would know what to do.
(third person singular)
If we were to win the lottery, we could travel the world.
(first person plural)
If you all were to come to the party, it would be a lot of fun.
(second person plural)
If they were in charge, things would be very different.
(third person plural)
Note that the subjunctive mood with were is becoming less common in modern English, and many speakers use the indicative mood instead.
However, the subjunctive mood with were is still considered correct in formal or literary contexts, and it is useful to be familiar with this construction.
click here The Subjunctive Mood
click here The Sequence of Tenses
click here The Passive voice with a formal subject It
click here The Group of Tenses of the Passive Voice
click here The Indicative Mood-the Passive Voice
click here What is the Mood of a Verb?