THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD 10.05.

2011

Identifying the Structure

The subjunctive as a heterogeneous mood.

Answer: there are three ways in which a subjunctive form can be identified:
a) by looking at the context in which it appears: for instance, in the case of (1) the main verb
wish should warn you that a subjunctive form is required to complete it
b) by looking at the meaning of the structure: if it has a hypothetical meaning, it probably is
a subjunctive
c) by translating it: if it can be translated through a conjunctive/conditional form in
Romanian, then it is likely to be a subjunctive (the other option is ‘conditional’, but the
Conditional is easily identified in English)

Subjunctive/Indicative

A sentence in the subjunctive represents a possible, non-factual state of affairs.

(Stefanescu 500).

The indicative is factual and occurs in statements that provide a (true or false)
representation of the world; the subjunctive mood is theoretical, it commends that
certain states of affairs are (or are not) desirable (Stefanescu 500)

THE INDICATIVE THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

MOOD

• 16 tenses • 2 tenses (present and perfect)

• descriptive • prescriptive
• factual • hypothetical, counterfactual
! The sequence of tenses operates only within the Indicative. There are
no ‘sequence of tenses’ phenomena between the Indicative and other
moods !
Test: Indirect Speech instances

DS: Anne: I want to go home. DS: Anne: I wish I had more money.
(Present Simple) (Present Subjunctive)
IS: Anne told Bill she wanted IS: Anne told Bill she wished she had
to go home. (Past Simple) more money. (Present Subjunctive)

DS: Anne: If you gave me your book, I

would lend you my bike. (Present
Subjunctive, Present Conditional)
IS: Anne told Bill she would lend him
her bike if he gave her his book.
(Present Conditional, Present
Subjunctive)
Philosophers of language distinguish between assertion and non-assertion. According to them,
to assert is to present the hearer with a representation of the world to which, the speaker
believes, the hearer has no access. Assertions and pointing gestures do not differ in a
fundamental way. In assertions, language is said to be used informatively. (Stefanescu 501)

Non-assertions do not provide representations of current states of affairs, instead, they are
commendations or commands that a certain state of affairs obtains; they command or
commend possible courses that events should take at a time after now. Non-assertions don’t
blong to the informative use of language but to a prescriptive use.

The prescriptive use of language: imperative and subjunctive sentences

The indicative – the deictic category of tense
The subjunctive mood- lacks deictic temporal orientation

The Synthetic/Analytic Opposition

SYNTHETIC ANALYTIC STRUCTURES

STRUCTURES (grammatical information is
(fusion between main item carried by a separate lexical
and the grammatical item)
information)

Subjunctive: I wish I went Subjunctive: I wish it would

to the party. rain.

Comparative: bigger/est
than him Comparative: more
interesting than him

Genitive: Susan’s, father’s Genitive: the complete works

car of Shakespeare
 THE SUBJUNCTIVE
THE ‘SYNTHETIC’ THE ‘ANALYTIC’
SUBJUNCTIVE SUBJUNCTIVE
Old New

Present: should/could/may/might
play
E.g. It’s odd that they should play
Present: Present: chess so well when they are so
play played young.
E.g. Long live I wish I played
the queen! chess with you. (I
I’d rather play might.)
chess than stay
here. (I might)
Perfect*: should/could/may/might
Perfect*: have have
played played
E.g. I’d rather E.g. It’s odd that they should have
have played played chess so well last week.
chess with
Susie when she
visited us (why
didn’t I?) Perfect: had
played
I wish I had
played chess with
you (why didn’t
I?)
! The star (*) indicates that the form is infrequently used in English.

The Synthetic Subjunctive

CONTEXTS FOR THE SYNTHETIC SUBJUNCTIVE

Old New
In independent sentences: Independent sentences:
Long live the Queen. Come Oh, had I wings!
what may, So be it, Grammar If only I had known!
be hanged, Damn him, Far be it
from me…
 In subordinate clauses: Subordinate clauses:
• after would rather (the • after if **and any other item
same subject for main and containing ‘if’ (if only, suppose,
subordinate clauses) supposing, what if, as if/though,
I’d rather tell you about it./I’d even if/though, say, as long as,
rather have told you about it. unless):
If Bill got married, he would be
• after had better miserable./ If Bill had got married, he
You’d better tell her about it./ would have been miserable.
You’d better have told her • after wish/ it’s time/would
about it*. rather
I would rather you went there/ I
• after verbs of command, would rather you had gone there.
wish (exercitive, bulomaic, (here the subject of the main clause is
emotive) not the same as the subject of the
It is important that he behave subordinate).
himself.
! The star (*) indicates that the perfect form is infrequently used in
English.
** All these elements can also be followed by Present simple (but with
a different shade of meaning):
E.g. If you go there, I will be very disappointed. / He behaves as if
he loves her.

The Analytic Subjunctive

CONTEXTS FOR THE ANALYTIC

SUBJUNCTIVE
Independent sentences Subordinate clauses
May you live long and have a • In that clauses after certain
beautiful life. verbs:
May he be happy for as long 1. Exercitive verbs: ask (require),
as he lives. demand, forbid, order, pray,
press, recommend, suggest,
propose, supplicate, urge, give
orders

An exortation that a certain state of

affairs comes into being:

He has given the order that the

patient should have a bath every
day.

Dan insisted that she should date

him.

2. Bulomaic verbs: want, wish,

 hope, desire
Commendations that certain
situations should be brought about.
I wish you would stop bothering
me.
I desire that you should do your
duty.

3. Emotive verbs: after copula +

evaluative adjectives:
It is advisable/ important/good that
he should meet his teacher soon.
• after purpose/sequence
introductory items: so that,
so… that, in order that, lest*,
for fear that, in case
I hid the secret from him for fear/in
case he might want to use it against
her.
• after concessive introductory
items**: no matter,
how/whatever, as etc.:
Now matter how much he might
know about her, she still won’t
listen to him.
Smart as he may be, he still can’t
read.
Try as I might, I couldn’t uncork
the bottle.
* this introductory item is obsolete, no longer used
** all these items can also be followed by an indicative form, with
a slightly different meaning (the speaker assumes that the action of
the subordinate is accomplished)
Compare: Smart as he is, I still don’t like him. vs. Smart as he may
be, I still don’t like him. (In the first case, I assume he is indeed
smart).

THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD

1. Identify the instances of subjunctive mood and state their type:

1. Let him suffer as I suffered before him. 2. Had I done what you had asked me, I would have
been in grievous danger. 3. You’d better listen to your elders. 4. Suffice it to say that I found
myself in a pretty desperate situation. 5. It is essential that you should be with your own family. 6.
He bought me a horse so that I might learn how to ride. 6. If only you weren’t so mean! 7. They
were talking to him as if he were their underbutler. 8. I’d rather you didn’t turn on the lights. 9.
They insisted I clean the house again. 10. I am watching the building lest a burglar should break
in.
2. Translate the following sentences into English:
Să te ajute Cel- de- Sus! Să te ierte Dumnezeu! Da- r- ar ciuma-n el! Să- l ia naiba! La naiba cu
gramatica! Vie împărăţia ta, facă- se voia ta! Să fie fericit în viaţa pe care şi-a ales-o. Blestemat să
fie cel care te-a adus în starea asta! Oh, de- ar fi aici să te vadă victorios! Trăiască regele! De-ar fi
vrut Dumnezeu să izbândească. Numai de-ar fi ştiut. E de ajuns să menţionez că omul e
nevionovat. Când te gândeşti că eram milionar pe timpuri. Departe de mine gandul să le stric
petrecerea. Să câştige cel mai bun dintre noi. Să trăieşti mult şi să de bucuri de ea. Să se ştie că de
azi înainte nu vom mai tolera o asemenea comportare. Nu vorbiţi toţi odată. Să se ducă cineva să-
mi aducă o lumânare. De n- ar fi aşa încăpăţânată. Să vorbească Maria acum. Noi să uităm
trecutul. Ascultă, băiete, ce-ar fi să terminăm lucrarea asta înainte de a pierde clientul, ce zici?

3. Finish the following sentences without changing the meaning of the sentence printed
before them:
1. He regrets not seeing that movie. / He wishes...
2. Why did you answer so rudely? / I’d rather you...
3. I would like you to go there and apologize. / I wish…
4. How could you tell such a thing to your boss? / I’d rather you...
5. Why did you strike that man, were you out of your mind? / I wish...
6. I wish I hadn’t laid the table before they arrived. / I’d rather...
7. She complained that she had to work so hard. / “I wish....
8. Why did she have to lie there and say nothing in her defense? / If only...
9. You shouldn’t have made that mistake! / I’d rather....
10. I am so embarrassed at the thought of meeting him again! / Suppose...
11. Why did you have to insult him? / You’d better...
12. He won’t like it if you lie to him! / He’d rather...
13. It would have been better not to meet her at all. / I’d better...
14. Why did you beat him? / I’d rather you...
15. I wish you told them the truth. / They’d better...
16. Why didn’t you inform me earlier? / I’d rather...
17. Please, be on time. / You had....
18. I thought you would flee when he attacked you! / I wish you...
19. What a pity she didn’t wear her new dress at the party! / She’d rather...
20. You should not have informed them about it. / They’d rather not...