English Stack Exchange
English Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [subjunctive-mood]

Questions regarding the subjunctive verb mood

In English, the subjunctive mood is a verb mood typically used in dependent clauses to express a wish, an emotion, a possibility, a judgement, an opinion, a necessity, or an action that is unlikely to occur or did not occur.

An exhaustive list of usages of the subjunctive mood exists in the Wikipedia page about the English subjunctive.

512 questions
25
votes
3 answers

"if it wasn't for..." vs "if it weren't for"

Should it be "if it weren't for holes, a bagel would be a bun" or "if it wasn't for holes, a bagel would be a bun"? I've been reading about the subjunctive and how it is generally used with "if" where "if" expresses a wish or refers to something…
Tracey H.
  • 251
12
votes
4 answers

"Was" or "were" in subjunctive clauses

I'm not a native english speaker, so even though I'm decently proficient at it, I don't really "know the rules" sometimes, and this is one that's been confusing me for a long time. Which one is correct in each sentence? If the movement [was/were]…
Daniel Magliola
  • 231
10
votes
5 answers

How is the English Subjunctive Composed?

Yesterday, I read about the English subjunctive mood. I tried to, but couldn't, discern a concise conception of it. What do you regard as a useful and concise conception of the subjunctive mood?
Hal
  • 2,024
8
votes
7 answers

"I hope this computer work"?

Why is the phrase "I hope this computer work" unacceptable? The word "hope" makes the phrase subjunctive, so why isn't it correct to use the infinitive verb form?
Nick
  • 81
8
votes
4 answers

Subjunctive mood

I am just curious, how often this form of Subjunctive mood is used and what alternatives are available to express the very same thing. Examples: I suggest that he implement a budget cut in March. It’s essential that they be heard and so on.
user51702
  • 193
7
votes
4 answers

Usage of the future subjunctive

In the Wikipedia article about the subjunctive mood, I read that the future subjunctive of own for the first person singular is I were to own. In which situations is the future subjunctive used in English?
apaderno
  • 59,185
6
votes
4 answers

Can "I be" ever be considered correct?

I was just looking at the verb to be (here) and I saw the subjunctive form "I be". Other than pirates saying "I be looking for treasure" I couldn't think of a single usage of "I be". Not knowing what subjunctive meant I went and looked it up but…
wobblycogs
  • 163
5
votes
4 answers

Does "it is entirely possible that" require the subjunctive form of the verb following "that"?

For instance, take the following sentence (from a real email exchange): it is entirely possible that one WebEx is not enough Is it correct? Should it be it is entirely possible that one WebEx be not enough ? My reasoning is as follows: (1) it is…
mark
  • 367
5
votes
2 answers

Hypothetical declarative with the present subjunctive

So there's this usage of what seems to be the present subjunctive that I haven't been able to find references on: A: "He said he was going to kill you." B: "What? He kill me? Fat chance!" Or, B: "What? Him kill me? Fat chance!" Now, I was under…
ephemeralist
  • 453
5
votes
3 answers

"Assume that A = B" subjunctive?

Over on Math.SE, a question exists regarding the usage of the word "that" in the following sentences: Assume that A = B. Assume A = B. A well-known author suggests that users elect Option 1 in mathematical writing. A discussion arose whether or…
Emily
  • 781
  • 10
  • 14
4
votes
2 answers

It is important that they "are" or "be"?

I was reading Jeremy Harmer's book (how to teach), and i encountered the sentence "it is, therefore, especially important that they are both fully engaged with what is going on and also ready to listen". But isn't that a subjunctive? Shouldn't it be…
user323595
4
votes
2 answers

"Require that every lightbulb have/has"

I have a sentence which reads Many people require that every lightbulb within a house have/has a switch. Is it appropriate to use "have" here so as to utilize the subjunctive mode of the verb "require"? Or is it more appropriate to use "has" in…
Richard
  • 141
3
votes
3 answers

Redundancy in subjunctive?

Is there any significant difference between the following sentences? Were it to be thought tasteless, I wouldn't do it. Were it thought tasteless, I wouldn't do it. Is the former implying that such thought would be slightly less likely? I'm…
Brian
  • 31
  • 1
3
votes
2 answers

Does the highlighted sentence use the Subjunctive mood?

I cannot fathom why were is used in the below highlighted sentence. Why can it be used in this way? I have got suggestions that this sentence is typical of the subjunctive mood to hypothetically discuss what has not existed yet, roughly meaning that…
grammar-in-action
  • 59
3
votes
2 answers

Subjunctives and "am"

Hopefully this one is nice and simple. Which is correct: I would never say that I am superior to a cleaner. or I would never say that I were superior to a cleaner. I'm rather confused -- any answers (and an explanation of the answer) would be…
Mr. Who
  • 33
1
2 3 4 5 6 7