THE SUBJUNCTIVE ETSI de Telecomunicaciones English

THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD: Notionally, mood is the attitude we have towards the contents of our sentences. Formally, it is the set of linguistic forms we use in order to express these attitudes.

THE SUBJUNCTIVE According to the notional description, there are three categories of meaning: Matters that deal with facts: Indicative. Commands: Imperative. Unreality, supposition, wish, doubt and uncertainty: Subjunctive. WIERDO: WISHES,IMPERSONAL EXPRESSIONS, EMOTIONS REQUESTS, DOUBT OR DENIAL, ÓJALA

THE SUBJUNCTIVE Realisation forms: Present: bare infinitive. Past: same as Indicative (except TO BE, where the Simple Past tense is “were” for all the grammatical persons).

THE SUBJUNCTIVE USES In the main clause To express a wish e.g.: ‘So be it!’ or a prayer e.g.: ‘Heaven help us!’. Mainly fixed expressions.

More important: IN THE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE 1.After a main clause expressing a wish or command, a preference or necessity: e.g.: The Board requires that the Head of the Department be in the Committee Room at eight. THE SUBJUNCTIVE

2.Subordinate clauses expressing a condition that is contrary to fact, as opposed to a condition in which nothing is supposed to be factual or not: e.g.: Were he wiser, he would test the results before. If she was in her office, she did not answer me. If she were in her office, she would answer you. THE SUBJUNCTIVE

3.Subordinate clauses expressing a condition suggesting doubt as to a thing being true to fact. Sometimes, the Indicative is used in fairly similar cases, but if the emphasis is put on the conjunction IF, it is preferable to use the Subjunctive. e.g.: If what you say be true, we’d better be careful. If he is wise, he will accept the suggestion. THE SUBJUNCTIVE

4.In a subordinate clause expressing a doubtful or a contrary-to-fact supposition. This clause is often introduced by SUPPOSE or IMAGINE. e.g.: Suppose the system fail, I’m not sure I want to try. Imagine he were right, would you take his opinion into account? THE SUBJUNCTIVE

5.In subordinate clauses after the expressions AS IF / AS THOUGH when we indicate unreality, improbability or doubt in the present (time). Though the introductory verb appears in the Present tense, the Past Subjunctive is used. We can use a Past Perfect to refer to a real or imaginary action in the past. e.g.: He acts as though he were sure about the system behaviour. He acts as though he had got the expected results. THE SUBJUNCTIVE

6.Clauses beginning with THOUGH, expressing an action or situation that will probably not take place or is probably not true. e.g.: Due to external conditions, though the antenna be satellite-borne, it will not receive the signal without distortion.

THE SUBJUNCTIVE Special constructions with the Past Subjunctive: The Past Subjunctive is used after WOULD RATHER, WOULD SOONER and IT’S (HIGH) TIME. He’d sooner you left the computer disconnected. It’s (high) time he were in class.

However, we use the plain infinitive with would rather/sooner if the subject of the main verb is the same as for the second. He would rather work with a PC than a Mac. Instead of would rather/sooner, we can use PREFER with the full infinitive (or with Obj.+Inf. when both subjects are different). He would prefer (him) to work with a PC than a Mac.

THE SUBJUNCTIVE The expression IT’S TIME can be followed by the Past Subjunctive (meaning it’s too late), by the full infinitive or For+Obj.+Inf. (meaning the time has arrived). It’s (high) time you were here. It’s (high) time (for you) to begin.

THE SUBJUNCTIVE “FALSE SUBJUNCTIVE ” Certain verbs take a construction including SHOULD+Bare Inf. in the Subordinate Noun Clause: consider, suggest, insist (on) (+gerund, that.... should) recommend, advise (+gerund, infinitive, that.... should) require, determined (and in the passive), agreed, demanded (+infinitive, that.... should) arrange, stipulate, be anxious (+for+object+inf., that.... should) When the infinitive after SHOULD is BE, the modal can be omitted, thus appearing to be a subjunctive construction: We generally require that modulation (should) be a reversible operation.

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