The category of verb mood in English. The Subjunctive Mood in English: rules of formation and tense forms

We already know that in the English language there is an Indicative Mood, a Conditional Mood, an Imperative Mood and a Subjunctive Mood. Today I would like to discuss such a grammatical phenomenon as the subjunctive mood in English, its forms, ways of using it in speech, etc. Subjunctive mood in English: forms and examples

Subjunctive mood in English (Subjunctive Mood) are special forms of the verb that are used in certain types of sentences, mainly in dependent (subordinate) clauses. The subjunctive mood in the language we are studying helps to express desire, necessity, goal, assumption and other ideas of this type.

What does it take to form a Subjunctive Mood?

Friends, you need to remember one thing. In English, there are certain constructions and verbs that help form the subjunctive mood. After such constructions, the verb in the subjunctive mood remains, so to speak, in the infinitive, in the initial form. Moreover, in the third person singular there is no ending -s.

Please note the following examples:

• It is important that he be present at the contest. — It is important that he be present at the competition
• The teacher wants we write the dictation. — The teacher wants us to write a dictation.

Since the subjunctive mood expresses in English a goal, desire, necessity, assumption, etc., it is important to pay attention to the syntactic structures that are involved in the formation of Subjunctive Mood:

• It is desirable that - it is desirable that...
• It is essential that - the main thing is that...
• It is important that - it is important that...
• It is necessary that - it is necessary that...
• It is vital that - it is extremely necessary (vitally important) that...

Now look at how these combinations behave in sentences, and what forms the subjunctive mood takes:

• It is desirable that he come to the meeting. — It is advisable that he come to the rally
• It is necessary that we learn Subjunctive forms. — It is necessary that we learn the forms of the subjunctive mood
• It is essential that Tom show us the new forms and methods of teaching. — The main thing is that Tom shows us new forms and methods of teaching.

Also, the subjunctive mood usually involves the following verbs + that:

• Ask - to ask
• Command - to order
• Demand - demand
• Insist - insist
• Recommend - recommend
• Request - demand
• Suggest - suggest
• Want - want
• Desire - to wish
• Wish - to wish

Examples of sentences with these verbs:

• The director insists that every worker know his rights. — The director insists that every employee knows their rights
• Your parents demand that you listen to your teachers. —Your parents demand that you listen to your teachers.
• We want that our children behave well. — We want our children to behave well.

As you can see from these examples, the verb in the subjunctive mood does not change at all; it retains its initial form.
Subjunctive mood and verb tenses

Where should we go?

Friends, everything we have given above is a simplified, colloquial, more Americanized form of Subjunctive Mood. Now let's talk about the British subjunctive mood in English. It is characterized by a design should + infinitive verb. The principle of constructing sentences, syntactic combinations and forms are the same. Note:

• It is important that you should read this book. — It is important that you read this book
• Alex recommends that you should visit a doctor. — Alex recommends that you visit a doctor
• It is necessary that you should persuade him not to do that. “You need to convince him not to do this.”

So, if you use should in sentences with the subjunctive mood, then you will not make a mistake, but on the contrary, you will form a grammatically and linguistically correct sentence.

Other members of Subjunctive Mood

Here it is appropriate to talk about such constructions as a s if + verb, wish + verb, suppose + verb. These grammatical constructions also form the subjunctive forms in English.

It is important to remember that if we use these constructions + verb to be, then this verb takes the form were in any person and number.

Let's start with the form as if + verb. It means “as if, as if.” After it, the verb must be in the Past Simple. For example:

• She looked at me as if I were guilty. — She looked at me as if I was to blame
• Mike behaves himself as if he won the contest. — Mike acts like he won the competition.

If we are talking about design suppose + verb(assume, imagine), then the conditions here are the same: the verb must be in the simple past tense. For example:

• Suppose he were here; what would you do? - Imagine if he were here, what would you do?
• I suppose Alex bought a car as he wanted. — I assume that Alex bought the car as he wanted.

Regarding the form wish + verb(want, desire), then we consider this construction in more detail in a separate article. Here I would like to remind you of a couple of important details. If wish is in the present tense, then the next verb must be in the Past Simple. For example:

• We wish you were at our party
• Alex wishes you organized the ceremony.

If wish in the past tense, that is wished, then the verb must be in the Past Perfect.

• It’s a pity you didn’t pass all the exams; you parents wished you had passed all your exams. — It’s a pity that you didn’t pass all the exams; your parents wanted you to pass all your exams
• Sue wished she had listened to her parents. — Sue would like to obey her parents.

Well, that's it for the subjunctive mood in English. Remember the constructions, build sentences, dialogues and you will succeed!

Mood in English, as in Russian, helps to understand how the speaker views an action in relation to reality. Mood refers to . There are three inclinations:

• Indicative Mood– the action is considered as real.
• Imperative mood (Imperative Mood)– expresses an incentive to action, an order, a request, advice.
• Subjunctive mood (Subjunctive Mood)– the action is considered not as a real fact, but as an assumption or wish.

As a rule, when studying the topic “Mond in English,” difficulties can arise only with the subjunctive mood. The rest are simple.

Indicative mood in English

In the vast majority of cases, the verb is used in the indicative mood - we are talking about a real action in the present, or. The verb can be in any tense form, active or. In other words, a verb in the indicative mood is “just a verb.”

I don't speak Spanish. - I do not speak Spanish.

Robert lost his wallet. Robert lost his wallet.

Have you seen this man? -Have you seen this man?

Imperative mood in English

The imperative mood expresses the urge to action. One can distinguish an affirmative and a negative form. Affirmative form is formed very simply - you just need to take the verb in its “dictionary” form, that is, without the particle to.

Turn right, then left. - Turn right, then left.

Get in the car. - Get in the car.

Tell me the truth. - Tell me the truth.

If you add a magic word to an imperative sentence please, it can turn from an order into a request, although much still depends on intonation and context.

Pass me those papers. -Give me those documents.

Please, pass me those papers. – Please give me those documents.

To build negative form imperative mood, add don't or don't before the verb.

Don't do that! - Do not do that!

Don't be late, please. - Don't be late, please.

Subjunctive mood in English

The subjunctive mood shows that the action is not considered as real, but as possible, expected or desired. The subjunctive mood is a rather complex topic, but I will try to approach it from a practical perspective, without confusing it with unnecessary (not the most necessary) information.

Forms of the subjunctive mood

It is difficult to say that in the subjunctive mood the verb takes on some special, easily recognizable form. And that's why.

1. For all English verbs, except , the subjunctive form does not differ from the indicative form. The only difference is that the subjunctive forms do not have the ending -s in the 3rd person singular.
2. Regarding the verb to be, then in the present tense it has the form be in all persons and numbers (in the subjunctive mood). In the past tense - form were in all persons and numbers (in colloquial speech it is often replaced by was).

Another common case is when a desired or intended action is expressed by a combination of verbs , + . It turns out that this combination performs the function of the subjunctive mood.

Cases of using past subjunctive forms

Let me remind you, verb to be in the form of the subjunctive mood of the past tense - has the form were in all persons and numbers. In modern English, especially in colloquial speech, it is often replaced by was.

Other verbs in the past subjunctive form look exactly the same as those in the simple past tense (indicative mood).

These forms are used:

1. In the subordinate clause of the second type.

If I were you, I would stay here. - If I were you, I would stay here.

If he were here, he would help us. “If he were here, he would help there.”

If we had more time, we would go on playing. – If we had more time, we would have continued playing.

2. In sentences like where wish is used to express regret about something not done.

I wish I were here with you. - It's a pity that I wasn't here with you.

I wish I knew. - It's a pity that I didn't know.

3. In subordinate clauses of the manner of action, joined by the conjunction as if:

He spoke as if he were an expert. “He spoke as if he were an expert.”

He worked as if his life dependent on it. “He worked as if his life depended on it.”

It is these three cases of using the subjunctive mood that are most often found in colloquial speech, films, fiction, and journalism.

It is also worth mentioning when the present subjunctive forms are used - this is unlikely to be very useful to you, but it is advisable to know about it.

Cases of using present subjunctive forms

Verbs in the present subjunctive mood are rarely used, mainly in documents.

1. In sentences with phrases like it is important that, it is necessary that:

It is desirable that the candidate be at the office at 7 o’clock. – It is advisable that the candidate be in the office at 7 o’clock.

Please note that in this example the verb to be is used in the subjunctive form - be.

It was important that they began the operation. “It was important that they started the operation.”

The verb commence is used in the present tense, not the past tense, since the form of the present tense of the subjunctive mood does not depend on what tense the verb is in the main clause.

2. In subordinate clauses that complement verbs with the meaning of order, proposal, decision, agreement (to command, to order, to propose, to decide, etc.):

They ordered that the construction be started immediately. “They ordered construction to begin immediately.

3. In subordinate clauses with the conjunction lest (as if not, so as not):

He fled the country best he be captured and captured imprisoned. “He fled the country to avoid being caught and imprisoned.

He was alarmed lest she should findout. “He was worried that she might find out.”

Subjunctive mood ( subjunctive mood ) is a verb form that is used to express conditions that are not true. Often such sentences begin with the word “if”: If only I were rich (if only I were rich).

The subjunctive mood is also found in sentences expressing a command, request, wish, to emphasize the urgency or importance of an action:

It is important that he read the book(It is important that he read this book).

The subjunctive mood is used less and less in modern English; it is mainly found in formal language. Its rare use is partly due to the fact that most of its functions can be conveyed in other ways, namely modal verbs might , could , should . In addition, the subjunctive mood causes difficulties even for some native speakers.

Subject subjunctive mood closely intertwined with the theme.

List of verbs and expressions after which the subjunctive mood is used

In the diagram, verbs are shown in the inner circle, and expressions in the outer circle. After these verbs and expressions, the subjunctive mood is used, which is expressed by an infinitive without a particle to .

Special cases when using the expression It's time , as well as the verb wish are discussed below.

Rules for constructing an affirmative and negative sentence with the subjunctive mood:

Affirmative sentence: subject + verb (without to) + object
Negative sentence: subject + not + verb (without to) + object

Please pay special attention to the fact that even with he, she, it the verb in the subjunctive mood does not contain -s , -es .

Examples for the subjunctive mood:

The doctor recommends he go to hospital (The doctor recommends that he go to the hospital)
It’s best that you study English harder (You better study the language harder)
It’s a good idea that I study a lesson on the subjunctive mood (It's a good idea to learn a lesson on the subjunctive mood).
Is it necessary that they be there? (Is it necessary for them to be there?)
I don’t recommend that he join the course (I do not recommend him to join this course)
It is important that you be there before your parents arrive (It's important that you be there before your parents arrive)
She suggests that she reconsider the proposals (She suggests reconsidering the proposals)
I propose that this street be closed to cars (I believe this street is closed to cars)
I recommend that you do not give up learning English (I recommend that you do not give up learning English)

It's time

After the expression it's time The verb is almost always in the past tense, although the situation is real:

It's time he learned English.(It's time for him to learn English.)
It’s time you watched the lessons on youtube.(It's time to watch the tutorials on YouTube.)

Wish

When we use a verb wish for hypothetical situations, the verb following this subjunctive verb is in the past tense:

I wish I were tall (I wish I was tall)
He wishes he studied harder in high school (He would like to study better in high school)
I wish I were there at hospital with you (I wish I could be there in the hospital with you)
He wishes they stopped crying (He wishes they would stop crying)

In a hypothetical situation in the present, were used for any person: I were, you were, she were, we were... You may hear some native speakers use was for the singular, but this is not recommended. In any case, this will be considered a mistake in any exams.

If we are talking about a hypothetical situation that arose in the past, then the verb in the subjunctive mood will be in the past perfect (one time ago compared to the main sentence):

I wished we went to your party yesterday.(I wish we had gone to your party yesterday.)
If London were a small town, things would be different.(If London were a small town, things would be different.)

Set expressions

There are some set expressions that also use the subjunctive mood:

Heaven forbid! - I hope this doesn't happen!
Come what may - come what may
So be it - so be it
God save the Queen - God save the Queen
Be that as it may - Whatever it is

To reinforce the material, we invite you to watch a video with an explanation from Adam, a professional English teacher:

In the Russian language, there are three types of verb mood: indicative, imperative and conditional. The latter is also called the subjunctive. This is a very important classification because each form listed helps determine how what is mentioned in the sentence relates to reality. The chosen mood of the verb may imply a request or order that the action has happened, is happening or will happen in reality, and also that it is only desired or will take place if some necessary conditions are met.

The first type is indicative, which is also called “indicative”. This form means that the action has happened, is happening, or will actually happen. Verbs in the indicative mood change tenses. Moreover, for imperfective verbs, all three tenses take place: past, present and complex future (for example: thought - I think - I will think, I did - I do - I will do, I searched - I search - I will search), and for the perfective form there are only two: past and simple future (for example: came up with - I'll come up with done - I'll do it, found it - I'll find it). In the future and present tenses, the vowel at the end of the infinitive stem disappears in some cases (for example: hear - hear, see - see).

Second type - conditional or subjunctive mood, which is also called “subjunctive”. This form means that the action did not actually happen, but is only desired, planned in the future, unrealizable, or will be realized when some necessary conditions are met. (For example: I would fly into space to study distant stars. In a year I would like to go to the sea. I would read other people's thoughts. I would go for a walk if the rain stops.) Verbs in the present and future tense are not used to form the conditional mood. It is composed exclusively with the help of a past tense verb (that is, the base of the infinitive, adding the suffix “-l-”), as well as the particle “would” or “b”. These particles can be found both before and after the verb, and can also be separated from it by other words. (For example: I would go to the museum. I would love to go to the museum). Verbs in the conditional mood change by number, and in the singular also by gender, but they never change by person and, as already stated, by tense. (For example: I would look, I would look, I would look).

Third type - imperative mood, which is also called “imperative”. This form means a request, advice, order, or encouragement to action. Verbs in the imperative mood are most often used in the 2nd person. In this case, they have a zero ending in the singular and a “-te” ending in the plural. They also do not change over time. The imperative mood is formed using a verb stem in the present or simple future tense, to which is added the suffix “-and-” or in some cases a zero suffix. (For example: Remember, you must do this! Stop doing nonsense! Watch this movie!)

It is also possible to use the 1st person plural form. It is used to encourage joint action in which the speaker will also participate. Then the imperative mood is formed using the infinitive of an imperfective verb or a perfective verb in the future tense, preceded by the following words: come on, let's. (For example: Let's go to the cinema. Let's cook breakfast. Let's try this dish.)

The 3rd person singular and plural forms are used to form the imperative mood when it is necessary to express an impulse to action of people not participating in the dialogue. In this case, it is formed using a verb in the form of the present or simple future tense and the following particles: yes, let, let. (For example: Let him buy bread. Let them come to me. Long live the king!)

From time to time, to soften the order, the particle “-ka” is added to imperative verbs (for example: Go to the store. Show me the diary. Bring me a book.)

In some cases, there are exceptions when mood forms are used in a figurative sense, namely in a meaning that is usually characteristic of another mood.

Thus, a verb in the form of the imperative mood can take on the meaning of the conditional mood (for example: Without his will, nothing would have happened. If he had not noticed the loss in time, disaster would have happened.) or indicative mood (for example: And she suddenly said that she had already seen this man. And he can do it his way!)

A verb in the indicative mood can take on an imperative meaning. (For example: Get up quickly, you'll be late! Let's go dig potatoes.)

A verb in the conditional mood can also take on an imperative meaning. (For example: I would tell it like it is. Would you help your friend in need?.)

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Among the three types of English, the subjunctive mood occupies a special place. The fact is that a verb in the subjunctive mood can have the most different shapes There are also several methods of use and types of this mood. In order to understand what the subjunctive mood is in English, or the conditional mood in English, it is necessary to consider in detail the features of this category and understand examples of its use.

Basic characteristics of the subjunctive mood

The subjunctive mood in English differs from the other two in that it can show:

Today in English there are two forms of this mood: synthetic and analytical.

Features of the synthetic form

This kind of Subjunctive mood is perhaps more common in the language. It originates from old times, and to this day quite a lot of constructions formed using this type of subjunctive mood have been preserved in the English language. In particular, we are talking about the Present Subjunctive, where a frequent form of verb formation is infinitive without particle to.

Present Sunjunctive

Examples of such use are some archaic expressions, which, however, can also be found in modern lexical composition:

· Be it so! - Let it be so!
· God forbid! - God forbid!
· Far be it from me to argue with you! – I had no intention of arguing with you!

Quite often the auxiliary word in this type of subjunctive mood can be may:

· May success attend you! – May success accompany you!
· May they live long! – May they live long!

In modern English, as it becomes clear, forms of the Subjunctive mood of this type are rare, and they are used only in individual cases, when the speaker wants to expressively and purposefully emphasize a particular statement.

Past Subjunctive

Verbs in the subjunctive mood of the synthetic type of the Past Subjunctive category are much more common today. This includes almost all those forms that are familiar to modern native speakers and people learning English. So, will never exist in its original form, and will be transformed into were.

Note: it so happened that the singular form in the subjunctive mood of the verb be did not take root. In simpler terms, regardless of the person or number, it is customary to use not was, but were for all cases.

Examples of this type of subjunctive mood include a variety of options. This includes those familiar to many , and constructions with wish, and much more:

· If I were you, I wouldn’t argue with you mother - If I were you, I wouldn’t argue with your mother
· I wish my friends had been there yesterday - It’s a pity that my friends weren’t with me yesterday

Note: conditional sentences of the first type do not apply to the subjunctive mood rule; they represent the indicative mood of the verb, since the action in them is not unreal and may well occur, since it refers to the future tense:

I will go to the south next summer if I earn enough money – I will go to the south next summer if I earn enough money

Features of the analytical form

As many believe, the problem of the Subjunctive mood is the presence of two forms: synthetic, which was discussed above, and analytical. If we define the latter, we can note that it denotes the same rule of Subjunctive mood with the only difference that the main indicators of conditionality here are the so-called mood auxiliaries, or auxiliary words of mood: would, should, may (might). They act as meaningful words and help to form an analytical rather than a synthetic form. The meaning remains the same:

· If I had money, I would buy a new jacket = If I should have money, I would buy a new jacket - If I had money, I would buy a new jacket
· She closed her eyes that she might not see anybody – She closed her eyes so as not to see anyone

In order to understand how to determine which form is better to use, you should know that both structures will be correct. Perhaps the synthetic form is found somewhat more often in the Subjunctive mood, but this does not mean that the analytical form should be completely neglected.

A small table will help show the types of subjunctive mood in a condensed form:

Thus, the grammatical features of Subjunctive mood make it the most complex of all three types. However, in order to have a good understanding of its features, it is enough to understand the rules for using its forms, and then problems with use will become significantly less.