Verb Moods

Indicative Imperative Interrogative Conditional Subjunctive

Mood of Verbs

Your verbs have moods, just like

you!

What is verb mood?

• The mood of a verb indicates the

state of being or reality.

• Confused?

• Let me try to explain…

The Five Moods

• There are five moods in the English

language; some are more complicated

than others.

– indicative

– imperative

– interrogative

– conditional

– subjunctive

Let’s look at each more closely.

Set up a tree map/five-column notes page.

Indicative Mood

• Indicative mood indicates a state of

reality.

• Most sentences in English are in the

indicative mood.

• Indicative mood states a fact, describes

what happened, or gives details about

reality.

Indicative Mood Examples

• It simply is what it

is!

• He was laughing.

• The girl has curly

brown hair.

• The shopkeeper

closed his doors.

Imperative Mood• Imperative mood indicates a state of

command.

• It is used when you are telling

someone/something to do something

or act in some way.

Imperative Mood Examples

• The subject is often

implied in the

imperative mood.

• (You) Sit down!

• (You all) Come in and

start your notes.

• (You messy children)

Wash your hands

before dinner.

Interrogative Mood

• Interrogative mood indicates a state of

questioning.

• Interrogative mood usually is asking for

a course of action to be done or for

some information to be given.

Interrogative Mood Examples

• Have you seen my

car?

• Who was that?

• What kind of pie do

you want?

• How would you like

your burger cooked?

• Interrogative mood

uses “question words.”

• Often, the

subject/verb order is

reversed in

interrogative

sentences.

Conditional Mood• Conditional mood indicates that

something might cause something

else to happen.

• Conditional mood indicates that one

thing will lead to another.

Conditional Mood Examples

• Conditional mood

often uses words like

could, would, might.

• Often linked to a

subjunctive mood

phrase with the

word “if.”

• Mowing a field on a

hot, dry day might

start a brush fire.

• The bomb might

explode if you jiggle

the switch.

• I might see hover

cars if I were to live

to be 110-years-old.

Subjunctive Mood• This mood is not often used

anymore, but it still survives in some

instances.

• This mood indicates a hypothetical

state, a contrary state to reality.

Subjunctive Mood Examples

• If I were a millionaire, I

would purchase a house

in each time zone.

• If I were you, I would

get a new car.

• You basically use the

subjunctive mood

when you know the

event is highly

unlikely.

• They are the “If I were

you…” types of

statements.

Notice that the verb

changes in the

subjunctive; instead of “was” it becomes “were”.

Notice that the verb

changes in the

subjunctive; instead of “was” it becomes “were”.