Subjunctive mood
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??Subjunctive Mood 1. Subjunctive mood in noun clauses: Subordinating word + should + base form of the verb 2. Subjunctive mood in conditional clauses ① Three basic tenses ② Inverted subjunctive sentences ③ Mixed-tense subjunctive sentences ④ Implicit subjunctive sentences ⑤ Hierarchical subjunctive sentences 3. Subjunctive mood in other contexts (wish/would rather/It’s high time…/If only…/lest) I. Three basic forms (1) The structure for expressing the subjunctive in time-related if clauses: Verb form in the if clause, Verb form in the main clause Present: did/were would (should, might, could) + do Past: had done/had been would (should/might/could) + have done/been Future: were to/should + do would (should, might, could) + do Three basic forms (2) (This is fundamental; it’s recommended to memorize the examples below so that you can recall them easily) Contrary to present facts: If I had enough money, I would buy a book. Contrary to past facts: If I had had enough money, I would have bought a book. Contrary to future facts: If I were to have enough money, I would buy a book. If I should have enough money, I would buy a book. II. Inverted subjunctive sentences (Used only when contrasting with past/future facts; the “if” word is omitted, and there are three forms of inversion) Had I had enough money, I would have bought a book. Were I to have enough money, I would buy a book. Should I have enough money, I would buy a book. III. Mixed-tense subjunctive mood (Focus is on the adverbial of time) (Subjunctive regarding past facts + Subjunctive regarding present facts) If I had studied English at school, I could read the English novel now. (Subjunctive regarding present facts + Subjunctive regarding past facts) If she were not so careless, she wouldn’t have made such a mistake. IV. Implicit subjunctive sentences 3. The subjunctive mood is used in subject clauses. In the sentence pattern “It is important (necessary, strange, natural, etc.) that...”, the verb in the clause following that uses (should) + the base form of the verb. It's necessary that we should have a walk now. It’s important for us to go for a walk right now. What would I have done without you? Without their help, I would not have finished the task. “Without” is equivalent to “without the help of”. If the doctor hadn’t arrived on time that day, they would have died. Given more time, I would have been able to finish the test. V. Subjunctive sentences with a mix of clauses (i.e., one half of the sentence is in the subjunctive mood, while the other half is in the indicative mood) ; (But is used with subjunctive in the preceding sentence, while or/otherwise is used with subjunctive in the following sentence.) He would put on weight, but he doesn’t eat much. (Contrary to the present fact.) He would have put on weight, but he didn’t eat much. (Contrary to a past fact.) (Or, or else, otherwise) I forget where I read the article; or I would show it to you now. (Contrary to the present fact.) Mary couldn’t have received my letter; otherwise she would have replied by now. (Contrary to a past fact.)VI. Subjunctive Mood in Noun Clauses
(1) In object clauses following verbs such as ask, advise, beg, command, demand, decide, desire, insist, order, prefer, propose, require, recommend, request, suggest, urge, which convey meanings of commands, requests, suggestions, etc., the predicate verb takes the form of (should) + base form of the verb. For example: I suggest/suggested that we (should) go tomorrow.
Subjunctive Mood in Noun Clauses
(2) In clauses of the type It is + (adjective/past participle/specific noun) + that, adjectives are usually those that express ideas such as surprising, important, necessary, critical, etc. Adjectives: astonishing, amazing, advisable, appropriate, crucial, desirable, essential, important, imperative, keen, necessary, natural, normal, odd, proper, preferable, strange, sorry, shocked, surprising, urgent, unusual, vital, etc. Subordinate clauses with modal verbs in nominal form (3) Past participles: decided, desired, demanded, ordered, requested, recommended, suggested, etc.; Nouns: advice, decision, desire, demand, suggestion, motion, pray, resolution, wish, preference, proposal, recommendation, requirement, idea, order, etc. VII. Other forms of modal verbs Wish… I wish I knew the answer. (Contrary to the present reality) I wish I had known the answer. (Contrary to a past fact) I wish you would shut up. (Contrary to a future fact) If only… If only I were taller. (Contrary to the present reality) If only he had followed your advice! (Contrary to a past fact) If only the rain would stop. (Contrary to a future fact) It is (high/about) time… It is time you thought about your future. Would rather… I would rather you didn’t speak rudely to her. (Contrary to the present reality) I’d rather you hadn’t spoken rudely to her. (Contrary to a past fact) Lest…, in case…, for fear that… (These introduce adverbial clauses of purpose, but can be classified under point six (modal verbs in nominal form), as their structure is the same, namely (should) + base form of the verb.) Example: He took his umbrella in case it should rain. Typical example: There was plenty of time. She ___. A. mustn’t have hurried B. couldn’t have hurried C. must not hurry D. needn’t have hurried Answer: D. Needn’t have done means “it was not necessary to do it”; in other words, something was done when it actually wasn’t required. The usage of “Mustn’t have done” is incorrect; to make a negative inference about something that happened in the past, one should use “couldn’t have done”, which means “it’s impossible that it was done”. must not do: is not allowed (used in the simple present tense). Tone is a verb form used to express the speaker’s intention or attitude. The subjunctive mood expresses the speaker’s subjective wishes, assumptions, suggestions, etc. What is said may be contrary to current facts, or to past facts, or to future facts, or may potentially be contrary to future facts. Therefore, the subjunctive mood is always used with conditional sentences. Besides if conditional sentences, there are several other common conditional sentence structures, and phrases can also be used to express conditions. Furthermore, context can also create a virtual linguistic environment. But sometimes there may be a timing mismatch between the conditional clause and the resultative main clause, and sometimes inversion occurs in subjunctive sentences. In addition to the main clause used with conditional sentences being in the subjunctive mood, some object clauses or predicative clauses also use the subjunctive mood. 1. It is very important that all employees _______________ in their proper uniforms before 6:30 a.m. A. are dressed B. will be dressed C. be dressed 2. I wish my brother _________ here. A. were B. was 3. The coach insisted that Fabio _______ the center position, even though he's much too short for that position.. A. plays B. play 4. My mother would know what to do. Oh, would that she _______ here with us now! A. were B. was 5. If only Jughead ______ a little more responsible in his choice of courses! A. was B. were 6. If Mrs. Lincoln ________ ill that night, the Lincolns would not have gone to Ford Theatre.. A. were B. had been 7. Her employees treated Mrs. Greenblatt as though she _______ a queen. A. was B. were 8. If his parents ____________ more careful in his upbringing, Holden Caulfield would have been quite different. A. had been B. were 9. I wish I _________ better today. A. feel B. felt Answers: cabab, bbab