THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

Form
 two forms of the subjunctive, traditionally called the present and past subjunctive, although the distinction relates more to mood
than to tense (sometimes used in hypothetical or non-factual cases)
 present subjunctive: base form of the verb
 past subjunctive (were-subjunctive): survives only in were as a past form of be (the indicative was is more common in less formal
style)
 negation: not + subjunctive (the auxiliary do is not used)

Usage
 two main uses of the present subjunctive:
1. the mandative subjunctive is used in a that-clause after expressions, verbs, adjectives and nouns expressing such notions as
demand, recommendation, proposal, intention, necessity, plan for the future (ask, demand, insist, prefer, propose, recommend,
request, suggest; advisable, anxious, desirable, eager, essential, imperative, important, necessary, preferable, vital, willing;
advice, decision, proposal, recommendation, request, requirement, resolution, suggestion); sth is important or desirable
 used even if the verb in the main clause is past
 rather formal in style, used very occasionally
 more typically used in AE, but it seems to be increasing in BE
 in BE putative should or indicative used instead (after an adjective a to-infinitive can be used)
 very occasionally in formal style used in clauses of concession (though, although, while, whereas, even if) and purpose (so that,
so, in order that) to express putative meaning  more usual: in though-clauses simple present indicative or putative should +
infinitive; clauses of purpose require modals, and therefore only the should-construction is a possible alternative

2. the formulaic (or ‘optative’) subjunctive is used in certain set expressions:

God save the Queen. Long live the king. Come what may…
Heaven forbid that… Be that as it may… Suffice it to say…
God bless you. as it were (= in a way) if need be
Truth be told… far be it from/for me until death do us part
Peace be with you the powers that be Rest in peace.
I be damned!
Come Monday/Tuesday…/September/October…
Would that it were (= I wish that it was so.)
(then) so be it (= nothing can be done to change it)

 the past subjunctive is hypothetical in meaning. It is used in conditional and concessive clauses and in subordinate clauses after
wish and suppose, and some expressions used for sth unreal (would rather, if, as if, as though, supposing)  a little formal and
old-fashioned, except in the phrase if I were you/in your shoes where it is more natural than was. The subjunctive were is often
replaced in nonformal style by the indicative was.

Compiled by
Marko Majerović
Department of English
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
University of Zagreb

Sources:
Eastwood, John: Oxford Guide to English Grammar, OUP, 1994
Eastwood, John: Oxford Learner’s Grammar, OUP, 2005
Greenbaum, Sidney & Randolph Quirk: A Student’s Grammar of the English Language, Longman, 1990
Swan, Michael: Practical English Usage, International Student’s Edition, OUP, 1996
Biber, Douglas; Susan Conrad; Geoffrey Leech: Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English, Longman, 2002