the english subjunctive

(old THE ENGLISH SUBJUNCTIVE

YOU HAVE LEARNED A LOT OF VERB TENSES SO FAR:SIMPLE PRESENT

PRESENT PERFECTPAST CONTINUOUSPRESENT PERFECT

ETC. ETC. ETC.

THE SUBJUNCTIVE IS ONE MORE!

LANGUAGE CHANGES OVER TIME.

500 YEARS AGO, IN SHAKESPEARE’S TIME, AND THE TIME THE BIBLE WAS

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, THERE WAS A LOT OF SUBJUNCTIVE

FOR EXAMPLE, FROM THE BIBLE:

BLESSED BE THE PEACEMAKERS.(= THE PEACEMAKERS SHOULD BE

BLESSED.)

FOR EXAMPLE, FROM SHAKESPEARE:

WOULD THAT HE WERE HERE (= I WISH THAT HE WAS HERE)

NOW, THE SUBJUNCTIVE IS SLOWLY DISAPPEARING FROM ENGLISH, BUT

SOMETIMES WE STILL USE IT.

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE IS THE BASE FORM OF THE VERB:

I BE, YOU BE, HE BE, SHE BE, THEY BE, YOU BE, WE BE

I GO, YOU GO, HE GO, SHE GO, THEY GO, YOU GO, WE GO

WE USE THE PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE AFTER CERTAIN VERBS AND ADJECTIVES

THAT “TAKE” THE SUBJUNCTIVE.

THESE ARE WORDS THAT COMMUNICATE ADVICE, NECESSITY AND URGENCY:

HIS TEACHER SUGGESTED THAT HE TAKE A GRAMMAR CLASS.

MY HUSBAND’S BOSS DEMANDS THAT HE WORK ON SUNDAYS.

IT IS URGENT THAT SHE SEE A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.

FOR MOST USES OF THE PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO EXPRESS THE SAME IDEA:

HIS TEACHER SUGGESTED THAT HE TAKE A GRAMMAR CLASS = HIS TEACHER SUGGESTED TAKING A GRAMMAR

CLASS.

MY HUSBAND’S BOSS REQUIRES THAT HE WORK ON SUNDAYS = MY HUSBAND’S BOSS REQUIRES HIM TO WORK

ON SUNDAYS.

IT IS URGENT THAT SHE SEE A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY = IT IS URGENT FOR HER TO SEE A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU BE POLITE TO YOUR UNCLE =

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE POLITE TO YOUR UNCLE.

PAST SUBJUNCTIVE LOOKS LIKE THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE FOR MOST VERBS:

IF I HADIF YOU KNEW

IF HE DIDN’T WORK HARD

PAST SUBJUNCTIVE OF THE VERB TO BE IS DIFFERENT:

IF I WEREIF YOU WERE

IF HE WEREN’T A HARD WORKER

OUR MOST COMMON USE OF THE PAST SUBJUNCTIVE IS IN TYPE 2 CONDITIONAL

SENTENCES:

I WOULD STAY HOME AND STUDY THIS WEEKEND IF I WERE YOU.

IF HE WERE HERE, HE COULD HELP US.

WE ALSO USE THE PAST CONDITIONAL AFTER THE VERB WISH:

I WISH MY FAMILY WERE HERE.

I WISH I HAD A CAR.

NOTE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WISH AND HOPE:

I WISH I HAD A CAR (= THIS IS A DREAM, AND I DON’T THINK I CAN GET ONE.)

I HOPE (THAT) I WILL GET A CAR = I HOPE TO GET A CAR (= I EXPECT THAT IT WILL

BE POSSIBLE IN THE FUTURE.)

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

I go I goYou go You goHe/she/it goes He/she/it go

We go We go They go They go

COMPARE TENSES:

PRESENT TENSE PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

I am I beYou are You beHe/she/it is He/she/it be

We are We be They are They be

COMPARE VERB TO BE:

SIMPLE PAST TENSE

PAST SUBJUNCTIVE

I went I wentYou went You wentHe/she/it went He/she/it went

We went We went They went They went

COMPARE TENSES:

PAST TENSE PAST SUBJUNCTIVE

I was I wereYou were You wereHe/she/it was He/she/it were

We were We were They were They were

COMPARE VERB TO BE: