Subjunctive Mood

There are special types of sentences which are said to be in Subjunctive Mood.

These sentences violate the usual rules relating to subject-predicate agreement in number and in
tense.

But these sentences are considered grammatically correct ones.

1. Present Subjunctive-Mood:

In sentences in the Subjunctive Mood, the verb is always in the singular and present tense form,
even it the subject is in plural number, and the tense is in past tense or in future tense.

Sentences in which you would normally have used the verbs is, are, was, were or will be
should have the root word be if they are in the Subjunctive mood.

There are two ways in which sentences are formed in the Present Subjunctive Mood.

In formal phrases expressing a wish or a hope or a cause.

Examples:

Long live the Queen!
God, save the motherland!
May heaven help you!
Curse, be on him!

In a noun clause formed as the object a verb indicating a desire, intention, command,
recommendation, request, resolution etc

Examples:

The public have demanded that a flyover should be constructed at the traffic
junction.(Incorrect)
The public have demanded that a flyover be constructed at the traffic junction.(Correct)

The disciplinary committee recommended that the manager should be dismissed from
service.(Incorrect)
The disciplinary committee recommended that the manager be dismissed from
service.(Correct)

The court ordered that the defendant pays the plaintiff a sum of ten thousand
dollars.(Incorrect)
The court ordered that the defendant pay the plaintiff a sum of ten thousand dollars.(Correct)

The government official was willing to share some secrets with journalist on condition that the
source must be kept secret.(Incorrect)
The government official was willing to share some secrets with journalist on condition that the
source be kept secret.(Correct)

The rules relating to test cricket mandate that the fielding team should bowl a minimum of
twenty overs in the last session.(Incorrect)
The rules relating to test cricket mandate that the fielding team bowl a minimum of twenty


overs in the last session.(Correct)

It is important that your son should start studying for TOEFL and GMAT straightaway if he
wishes to go to USA.(Incorrect)
It is important that your son start studying for TOEFL and GMAT straightaway if he wishes to
go to USA.(Correct)

These sentences are in Subjunctive-Mood.
2. Past Subjunctive-Mood:

You have been taught the normal conjugation of the verb be in the present tense as I am, You
are, He is, They are, We are.

But in the sentence in the Past Subjunctive Mood, the grammatical conjugation for the present
tense is itself I were, You were, He were, They were.

When the verb used is different from BE, it is the past tense form of the verb (such as stayed,
walked, lent, tackled) That is used even in sentences in the present tense.

The Subordinate clauses, if any, in such sentences must also be expressed with verbs in the past
tense.

The Past Subjunctive is used in the following circumstances.

After the verb wish.

Examples:

I wish I were the Prime Minister of India for a year.
How I wish Harvard University gave me admission in MBA.
I wish my brother were here now so that he could teach me algebra.

In sentences describing contrary to fact situations:

Examples:

If the earth were to rotate in the opposite direction, the sun would rise in the west.
If we started now and travel at the speed of light, It would take us eight minutes to reach SUN.

In sentences starting with as if and as though.

Examples:

George tries to order me about as if I were his wife.
Do you notice Robert walking as though he were drunk?
William spends money as if he had won a lottery.

These sentences are in Subjunctive-Mood.



In sentences starting with it is time.

Sentences starting with it is time indicate that it is already late for taking the indicated action.

Examples:

The match will commence at 10oclock and it is time you got ready. (Not it is time you get
ready)
It is already half past midnight, and it is time we returned home. (Not it is time we return
home)

In sentences starting with I would rather, he would rather etc

Such sentences indicate ones preferences, and also are expressed in Subjunctive Mood.

Examples:

I would rather you took up the job.
He wishes to study medicine
But his mother would rather he applied to the engineering college.

These sentences are in Subjunctive-Mood.

The Subjunctive Mood
A verb is in the subjunctive mood when it expresses a condition which is doubtful or not
factual. It is most often found in a clause beginning with the word if. It is also found in clauses
following a verb that expresses a doubt, a wish, regret, request, demand, or proposal.
These are verbs typically followed by clauses that take the subjunctive:
ask, demand, determine, insist, move, order, pray, prefer, recommend, regret, request,
require, suggest, and wish.
In English there is no difference between the subjunctive and normal, or indicative, form of the
verb except for the present tense third person singular and for the verb to be.
The subjunctive for the present tense third person singular drops the -s or -es so that it looks and
sounds like the present tense for everything else.
The subjunctive mood of the verb to be is be in the present tense and were in the past tense,
regardless of what the subject is.
Incorrect: If I was you, I would run.


Correct: If I were you, I would run.
(The verb follows if and expresses a non-factual condition.)
Incorrect: I wish he was able to type faster.
Correct: I wish he were able to type faster.
(The second verb is in a clause following a verb expressing a wish. It also suggests a non-factual
or doubtful condition.)
Incorrect: His requirement is that everyone is computer literate.
Correct: His requirement is that everyone be computer literate.
(Subordinate clause follows main clause with a demand.)
Incorrect: He recommended that each driver reports his tips.
Correct: He recommended that each driver report his tips.
Sometimes we may use the conditional auxiliary verbs of could, should, or would to express
the same sense.
Subjunctive:I wish he were kinder to me.
Conditional: I wish he would be kinder to me.
Note: In modern English, the subjunctive is found only in subordinate clauses.
Tense and the Subjunctive Mood
Four Tenses in Common Use

Learning not only when to use the subjunctive mood, but which form of the subjunctive to use, can be
one of the most difficult parts of learning Spanish verb usage. The rules can appear quite complicated
at first, partly because the subjunctive mood is nearly absent in English. But learning the tenses
either in the traditional way of memorizing rules and then applying them, or by becoming familiar
enough with the language to know what sounds right is essential to gaining fluency.
In the lesson linked to above, we learned the principles that determine when to use the indicative and
when to use the subjunctive. In this lesson, we will look at which tense to use, and in the lesson on
conjugating the subjunctive, we'll look at the basic rules of forming the subjunctive. The goal here
isn't to convey a complete understanding of the subjunctive tenses, but to supplement other study
materials you have and to help you gain a basic understanding of how the verbs in a sentence work
together.
The subjunctive has four tenses in everyday use:


Present subjunctive
Present perfect subjunctive
Imperfect subjunctive
Past perfect (or pluperfect) subjunctive
Remember that, generally speaking, the subjunctive is used in dependent clauses. Which form of the
subjunctive is used depends on two factors:
The tense of the verb in the main clause
The time relationship between the subjunctive verb in the dependent clause and the main verb
Although there are exceptions, and the rules of grammar in real life are more fluid than is suggested
here, the following list shows the most common (but not only) ways in which the tenses are
differentiated:
If the main verb is in the present, future, or present perfect tense or the imperative mood,
and the dependent (subjunctive) verb refers to action that takes place (whether in actuality or
not) at the same time or after the main verb, then the dependent verb should be in the
present subjunctive. Example: Espero que comas. (I expect you to eat.)
If the main verb is in the present, future or present perfect tense or imperative mood, and the
dependent (subjunctive) verb refers to action that has been completed (whether in actuality or
not), then the dependent verb should be in the present perfect subjunctive. Example: Espero
que hayas comido. (I expect you to have eaten.)
If the main verb is in the preterite, imperfect, past perfect or conditional tense, and the
dependent (subjunctive) verb refers to action that takes place (whether in actuality or not) at
the same time or after the action of the main verb, then the imperfect subjunctive is used.
Example: Esper que comieras. (I expected you to eat.)
If the main verb is in the preterite, imperfect, past perfect or conditional tense, and the
dependent verb refers to action that has been completed (whether in actuality or not), then
the past perfect subjunctive (also called pluperfect subjunctive) is used. Example: Esper que
hubieras comido. (I expected you to have eaten.)
Note that in many cases there are various ways of translating the sentence to English. For example,
espero que comes also could be translated as "I expect that you will eat." Because there is no future
subjunctive in everyday use, verbs in the present subjunctive form often are translated into English
using the future tense. Dudo que me compres recuerdos, I doubt you will buy souvenirs for me.
Here's another way to look at the sequence of verb tenses:
If the main verb is in a present or future tense, use either the present subjunctive or present
perfect subjunctive, depending on whether the subjunctive verb refers to action (or presumed
action) that has been completed.
If the main verb is in a past or conditional tense, use either the imperfect or past perfect
subjunctive, depending on whether the subjunctive verb refers to action has has been
completed (or presumably completed) at the time of the action in the main verb.
These tenses can seem quite confusing at first. But as you learn the language they will become second
nature. To learn more about this topic explained in a different way, see the lesson on the sequence of
tenses.



Conjugation of Regular Verbs in the Subjunctive Mood

Except for those rare few of us who can learn verb conjugations without effort, mastering them at
some point will require rote memorization. While the verb forms can be confusing at first, with use
they become natural as conjugations in the native tongue.
The lists below show the forms of the subjunctive for regular verbs; see individual listings for irregular
verbs. Translations are given for clarity in distinguishing the tenses; in real life, other translations can
be used.
Present subjunctive, regular -ar verbs: Remove the -o from the first-person indicative form and
add the appropriate ending: -e, -es, -e, -emos, -is, en.
que yo hable (that I speak)
que t hables (that you speak)
que l/ella/usted hable (that he/she/you speak)
que nosotros/nosotras hablemos (that we speak)
que vosotros/vosotras hablis (that you speak)
que ellos/ellas/ustedes hablen (that they/you speak)
Present subjunctive, regular -er and -ir verbs: Remove the -o from the first-person indicative
form and add the appropriate ending: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -is, an.
que yo coma (that I eat)
que t comas (that you eat)
que l/ella/usted coma (that he/she/you eat)
que nosotros/nosotras comamos (that we eat)
que vosotros/vosotras comis (that you eat)
que ellos/ellas/ustedes coman (that they/you eat)
Imperfect subjunctive of regular verbs: Remove the -on from the third-person indicative plural
preterite form and add the appropriate ending: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -ais, an. Put the stress on the
last syllable of the stem in the nosotros form.
que yo hablara (that I spoke)
que t hablaras (that you spoke
que l/ella/usted hablara (that he/she/you spoke)
que nosotros/nosotras hablramos (that we spoke)
que vosotros/vosotras hablarais (that you spoke)
que ellos/ellas/ustedes hablaran (that they/you spoke)
que yo comiera (that I ate)
que t comieras (that you ate)
que l/ella/usted comiera (that he/she/you ate)
que nosotros/nosotras comiramos (that we ate)
que vosotros/vosotras comierais (that you ate)
que ellos/ellas/ustedes comieran (that they/you ate)
There is also a less common form of this tense that is used primarily in writing, especially literature. It
is seldom heard in speech in most regions. It is conjugated as above, except the -ra- becomes -se-.


It normally is not necessary to memorize this form, but you should be able to recognize it when you
see it.
que yo hablase (that I spoke)
que t hablases (that you spoke
que l/ella/usted hablase (that he/she/you spoke)
que nosotros/nosotras hablsemos (that we spoke)
que vosotros/vosotras hablaseis (that you spoke)
que ellos/ellas/ustedes hablasen (that they/you spoke)
que yo comiese (that I ate)
que t comieses (that you ate
que l/ella/usted comiese (that he/she/you ate)
que nosotros/nosotras comisemos (that we ate)
que vosotros/vosotras comieseis (that you ate)
que ellos/ellas/ustedes comiesen (that they/you ate)
Present perfect subjunctive: Use the present subjunctive form of haber (which is irregular) and
follow it with the past participle.
que yo haya salido (that I have left)
que t hayas salido (that you have left)
que l/ella/you haya salido (that he/she/you have left)
que nosotros hayamos salido (that we have left)
que vosotros/vosotras hayis salido (that you have left)
que ellos/ellas/ustedes hayan salido (that they/you have left)
Past perfect subjunctive (pluperfect): Use the past subjunctive form of haber and follow it with
the past participle. Although both the -ra and -se- forms of haber are possible, the former is more
common and is shown below.
que yo hubiera salido (that I had left)
que t hubieras salido (that you had left)
que l/ella/usted hubiera salido (that he/she/you had left)
que nosotros hubiramos salido (that we had left)
que vosotros/vosotras hubieris salido (that you had left)
que ellos/ellas/ustedes hubieran salido (that they/you had left)