1

The Subjunctive
Generalities
The subjunctive is a personal mood which expresses hypothetical, unreal actions.
Types and Forms:
Bantas considers the subjunctive to be synthetic if it has just a one verbal element and to
be analytical if it has two verbal elements.
Synthetic Subjunctive Type I Short / Bare nfinitive , without s / !es for the
"
rd
person, sin#ular$ I / you / he / she / it / we / you / they go with us.
Synthetic Subjunctive Type II %ast Tense , the verb T& B' has the form
(')' for all persons.
Analytical Subjunctive Type I %ast %erfect
Analytical Subjunctive Type II * modal verb +shall / will / may / mi#ht /
can / should / would , - Short nfinitive of the verb.
.
Uses:
Synthetic Subjunctive Type I Short / Bare nfinitive , without s / !es for the "
rd

person, sin#ular$ I / you / he / she / it / we / you / they go with us.
This type of Subjunctive is also called The Present Subjunctive +See /evitchi,.
t is an archaic form and today it is used only in the followin# sentences$
a. ndependent sentences which express wishes, exclamations$
1. /on# live the 0ueen1 +Sa traiasca re#ina1,
.. Than2s be to his mother3s care1 +Sa ii multumeasca mamei
pentru #rija,
". Bless you1 +4ii binecuvantat,
b. Subordinate 5lauses
i. 6irect object clauses, after such verbs as$ to suggest, to
recommend, to require, to order, to demand, to urge$
1. The Security 5ouncil re7uires that all resolutions be
observed. +5onsiliul de Securitate cere ca toate
documentele sa fie luate in seama,.
.. The 5ourt rules that 8ones be ac7uitted. +5urtea decide ca
8ones sa fie achitat,
". She ordered that he sit don and listen carefully. +'a dadu
ordin ca el sa stea jos si sa asculte cu atentie,.
ii. 5oncessive clauses introduced by though, although, whatever$
1. 9owever difficult it be!
.. Be that as it may, still you are very wron#. +ndiferent cum
ar sta lucrurile, totusi tu te inseli,.
iii. 5onditional clauses
1. f it be so there is nothin# more to say. +6aca!i asa, nu mai
e nimic de spus,
"
iv. 4inal clauses
1. 5ome earlier, so that you "ind him at home. +:;ino
devreme, ca sa il #asesti acasa,.
c. 4ixed constructions, especially in the formal lan#ua#e in *merican 'n#lish +after
it is necessary, it is advisable, it is recommendable, it is possible, it is probable
etc.,
1. t is necessary that he do it now1 +' necesar ca el s< fac<
acest lucru acum1,
=
Synthetic Subjunctive Type II %ast Tense , the verb T& B' has the form (')' for
all persons.
t is used$
1. n conditional clauses, to express a %resent 5onditional
The children would li2e the film, if they sa it.
.. *fter (S9, T3S +9>9, T?', *S 4, *S T9&@>9, ';'A 4, ';'A
T9&@>9, (&@/6 )*T9'), (&@/6 S&&A'), S@%%&S' T9*T
wish ere at the seaside now. +*s vrea sa fiu acum la mare,
". *fter T3S 9>9 T?' we can also use 4&) - &B8'5T - /&A> A4AT;'.
B But there is a difference between the two constructions. The 4&) - A4AT;'
construction implies that the correct time for the action has arrived, while the
S@B8@A5T;' su##ests that is already a little late$
a. t3s hi#h time for him to start learnin# a forei#n lan#ua#e. +: The proper
time for this activity has arrived.,
b. t3s hi#h time he started learnin# a forei#n lan#ua#e.+: 9e has passed the
usual a#e for startin# learnin# a forei#n lan#ua#e,.
=. (hen the subject of (&@/6 )*T9') / S&&A') is also the subject of the
action which follows, the (&@/6 )*T9') / S&&A') construction is
followed by the Short nfinitive. f the subject is different, we use the
Subjunctive$
a. ?y sister would rather stay at home today than #o to the theatre. +Sora
mea ar prefera sa stea acasa aCi, decat sa mear#a la teatru,
b. ?y sister would rather he stayed at home today. +Sora mea ar prefera ca el
sa stea aCi acasa,.
D
Analytical Subjunctive Type I %ast %erfect
t is used$
1. n conditional clauses to express a %ast 5onditional$
a. would have bou#ht that boo2 if had "ound it. +*s fi cumparat cartea,
daca as fi #asit!o,.
.. *fter (S9 +to express a re#retted action in the past, and S@%%&S', *S 4 , *S
T9&@>9 and ';'A 4 , ';'A T9&@>9
a. wish you hadn#t said that. +:3m sorry you said that, +:*s fi vrut ca tu
sa nu fi spus acele lucruri,.
E
Analytical Subjunctive Type II * modal verb +shall / will / may / mi#ht / can /
should / would , - Short nfinitive of the verb.
This type of subjunctive is much more fre7uently used than the Synthetic Subjunctive. t
may occur both in main and subordinate clauses$
1. S9*// - A4AT;' +invitation, re7uest,
a. Shall we have coffee to#etherF +:5e!ar fi sa bem o cafea impreunaF,
.. S9&@/6 - A4AT;'
a. n main clauses$
1. (hy should they come so earlyF +6e ce ar veni ei asa
devreme, cu sensul$ 6e ce ar fi necesar ca ei sa vina asa
devremeF,
b. n subordinate clauses
i. Subject clauses followin# impersonal constructions li2e$ it was
important / necessary / natural / surprising / advisable
1. t is necessary that you should be present. +: ' necesar ca
tu sa fii present,
ii. 5onditional clauses +to underline the hypothetical nature of the
action,
1. f she should come here, what would you tell herF +6aca ea
ar veni aici, ce !ai spuneF,
iii. 6irect object clauses, after such verbs as T& 6'?*A6, T&
ASST, T& 5&??*A6, T& %)&%&S', T& )'0@'ST, T&
S@>>'ST
1. They su##ested that you should tell him the truth.+:'i au
su#erat ca tu sa! spui adevarul,
iv. Subordinate clauses of purpose introduced by /'ST, 4&) 4'*)
T9*T, A 5*S'
1. (e left in a hurry lest she should see us there. +:*m plecat
in #raba ca ea sa nu ne vada acolo,
G
v. *ppositive attributive clauses
1. 9is desire that no one should enter that room surprised us.
+:6orinta lui ca nimeni sa nu intre in camera, ne!a
surprins,
vi. concessive clauses introduced by T9&@>9, */T9&@>9,
(9*T';')
1. (hatever she should say, don3t contradict her. +&rice ar
spune, nu o contraCice,
". ?*H / ?>9T - A4AT;'
a. n main clauses to express a wish
1. $ay all your dreams come true1 +4ie ca toate visurile tale
sa se indeplineasca1,
b. n subordinate clauses
i. Subject clauses introduced by T S %&SSB/' / %)&B*B/' /
/I'/H
1. t is possible that she may come today. +' posibil ca ea sa
vina aCi.,
ii. n subordinate clauses of purpose introduced by T9*T, A
&)6') T9*T, S& T9*T
1. 9e too2 a seat in the first row so that he mi%ht hear the
actors well. +* luat loc in primul rand ca sa poata auCi bine
actorii.,
iii. 5oncessive clauses introduced by T9&@>9, */T9&@>9,
9&(';'), (9*T';'), A& ?*TT')
1. 9owever painful it may be to you, you must 2now the
truth. +&ricat de dureros ti!ar fi, trebuie sa stii adevarul.,
=. (&@/6 - A4AT;'
a. 6irect object clauses after (S9, to express a possible action
i. They wish we ould pay them a visit soon. +'i doreau ca noi sa ii
viCitam curand,
J
b. Subordinate clauses of purpose
i. She learnt all the new words so that she ould be able to translate
the text. +'a a invatat toate cuvintele noi astfel ca a fost in stare sa
traduca textul,
D. 5&@/6 - A4AT;'
a. This construction is used to express purpose as an alternative to ?*H /
?>9T. The 5&@/6 - infinitive has, in this case, a hi#her de#ree of
certainty
1. She studied a lot so that she could pass the difficult exam.
+* studiat mult ca sa treaca examenul dificil.,