Subjunctive Mood
If I only had a brain...
First thing first
How can a verb have a mood?
According to Troyka and Hesse, Mood in verbs conveys an attitude toward the action in a sentence. In English, there are three moods: Indicative, Imperative, and Subjunctive.
*Important Side Note*
The Subjunctive Mood is being used less and less in every day dialogue but still must be known for academic writing. The Hodges Harbrace Handbook states that Although you may not use the subjunctive when you are speaking with friends, using it in your writing shows your readers how you feel about your claims. So here we go!!!!
When to use the Subjunctive Mood
The Subjunctive mood is used when the verb is trying to express the following:
Speculation Indirect Requests Demands Wishes Unlikely events Recommendations
The Use of the Subjunctive Mood in present and past tense.
Present Subjunctive: Use the SIMPLE forms of verbs.
Example: It is important that they be [not are] allowed back stage for the Cheap Trick concert.
Past Subjunctive: Use the SIMPLE PAST forms of verbs.
Examples: If I only had a brain.
EXCEPTION: Use were for present and past tense Subjunctive.
Examples: I wish they were coming home today. (Present) Examples: We asked if we were allowed to skip school. (Past)
Key words in finding and using the subjunctive mood
If As If As Though Unless
The Subjunctive Mood in If, As If, As Though, & Unless Clauses
Used as Dependent Clauses
A dependent clause contains a subject and a predicate but cant stand alone as a sentence. Usually adverb or adjective clauses. Examples:
Describes speculations or conditions contrary to fact.
If it were to snow, our flight would be canceled. We will never be friends again, unless she were to apologize.
NOTE!!! Not every clause introduced with these key words will be subjunctive. Make sure the clause expresses a speculation or a condition contrary to fact.
The Subjunctive Mood in That Clauses
That clauses are used to describe wishes, requests, demands, or recommendations.
Examples:
I wish that I had seen Blink-182. She recommended that I see a doctor.
Modal Auxiliary Verbs in the Subjunctive (or helping verbs)
Modal Auxiliary Verbs: would, could, might, & should. These words can convey speculation and therefore are used in the Subjunctive Mood.
Examples:
If I were a little bit taller, I would be a baller. She might lie to my face, as if I were nothing.
NOTE: Do NOT use a modal auxiliary verb in both the dependent and independent clause.
Indicative vs. Subjunctive Conjugation Present Tense
Singular I Am Plural We Are Singular That I Be That You Be That He, She, It, Be Plural That We Be That You Be That They Be
You Are
He, She, It Is
You Are
They Are
Indicative vs. Subjunctive Conjugation Past Tense
Singular I Was Plural We Were Singular If I Were Plural If We Were
You Were
He, She, It Was
You Were
They Were
If You Were
If She, He, It Were
If You Were
If They Were
Practice!
Choose the correct subjunctive verb form to complete the following sentence. If he _____ in better shape, he would be a great addition to our football team.
A. would have been B. were C. would be D. was
A. would practice B. practice C. practiced
The coach asked that each player ____ twice a day.
The coach of the Cane Ridge Ravens football team required that each student _____ for their ticket to the game on Friday.
A. paid B. pay C. had paid A. beat B. had beaten C. would have beaten
We wished that we _____ Riverdales team.
Answers!
If he were in better shape, he would be a great addition to our football team. The coach asked that each player practice twice each day. The coach of the Cane Ridge Ravens required that each student pay for their ticket to the game on Friday. We wished that we had beaten Riverdales rugby team.
Post-Assignment
Please write a paragraph containing at least five uses of the Subjunctive Mood. You can write your paragraph over the following topics or with a topic of your choice.
What if you were a millionaire? What would you do if you were a genie? How would your life now be different if you were living in America during the 1970s?
