Grammar 4 Module

CHAPTER 10:
SUBJUNCTIVE

A. LEARNING OBJECTIVE

This chapter will discuss about dangling Inversion in a sentence. After you

learn this chapter, it is expected that you will be able to:

10.1 Indicative and Subjunctive mood

10.2 Adjectives of Urgency

B. MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

Indicative mood is the usual form of the verb States, a fact, or opinion that is

used most of the time. The main rule in the indicative mood is to “be natural”. Just

observe subject+verb agreement (singular subject+singular verb/ plural+plural

verb). For example:

He is an honest man.

Is Quezon City the capital of the Philippines?

Last Saturday I saw Sam and her mother.

Why are you here?

While subjunctive mood is the verb form used to express a wish or something

contrary to fact. It always uses were rather than was (using verb “to be”). Verb

Forms of Subjunctive are:

Present Subjunctive - be, come, work,

Past Subjunctive - were (was) came, worked

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Perfect Subjunctive -had been, had come, had been come

Examples of subjunctive mood:

If I were you, I would run. It would be better if you had brought your books. I

wish I had something to eat.

The following table shows some expressions of the subjunctive mood:

The subjunctive mood present time past time

may express the
following:

an unreal condition (with If I were you, I If I had been

the conjunctions if, would go to you, I would
unless, etc.) bed early. have gone to
bed early.

a wish (only after the verb I wish that I I wish that I

wish) were you. had known
that yesterday.

some degree He acts as if he He acts as if he

of conjecture(after verbs were a king. had been a
like act, behave, talk, king once.
look) that may be
followed by as if or as
though

some degree of urgency, It is necessary He insisted

in noun clauses after that he be on that his wife be
verbs of requesting, time. on time.
commanding, urging, and
recommending, (advise, (Negative)
ask, beg, command,
decide, demand, desire, It is important
forbid, insist, propose, that he NOT
recommend, request, eat the cake I
require, suggest, urge) have saved for
and after adjectives the president.

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likeimportant,
necessary, advisable,
desirable, essential,
imperative, mandatory,
vital,
urgent,and imperative.

*Only the present

subjunctive (uninflected
base form) is used
regardless of the tense of
the main verb.

As what is shown in the table (in the grey rows) one of the uses of

subjunctive is in some degree of conjencture which is after as if / as though to

show unreality or improbability or doubt in the present. To be noted, there is

no difference between as if and as though. These are the examples:

a. He behaves as if she was the boss here. (But she isn't the boss or we don't know

whether she is the boss or not.)

b. He talks as though he knew who Jane was. (But he doesn't know or we don't

know whether he knows or not.)

c. He looks at me as if I were guilty. (But I am not guilty.)

Subjunctive mood can also appear after adjectives of urgency. after

adjectives like important, necessary, advisable, desirable, essential,

imperative, mandatory, vital, urgent. For example: It is important that he

studies the map I have given to him.

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C. COMPREHENSION TEST

1. Give 5 examples of indicative sentences.

2. Write 5 sentences of subjunctive as if/as though.

3. Write 5 sentences of subjunctive with adjectives of urgency.

D. BIBLIOGRAPHY

______________. (n.d.). Subjunctive. Retrieved September 9, 2016, from

https://staff.washington.edu/marynell/grammar/subjunctive.html

Vince, M & Sunderland, P. 2003. Advanced Language Practice. Oxford: Macmillan

Publishers Limited

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