The main cases of the use of The Subjunctive Mood in English

 

1. Simple sentences

In simple sentences the synthetic forms of the Subjunctive Mood are more frequent than the analytical forms.

In simple sentences the Subjunctive Mood is used:

· To express wish:

e.g. Success attend you!

· To express wish the analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary may is also used.

e.g. May you live long and die happy!

· To express an unreal wish:

e.g. If only he were free!

· In oaths and imprecations:

e.g. Manners be hanged!

· In some expressions:

e.g. Be it so!

God forbid!

The Subjunctive Mood in simple sentences is characteristic of literary style, except in oaths and imprecations, which belong to low colloquial style.

2. Complex sentences

· The Subjunctive Mood is used in conditional sentences to

express an unreal condition (in the subordinate clause) and an unreal consequence (in the principal clause).

In sentences of unreal condition referring to the present of future the past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used in the subordinate clause; with other verbs the same meaning is expressed by the Past Infinitive of the Indicative Mood. In the principal clause we find the analytical subjunctive consisting of the mood auxiliary should or would and the Indefinite Infinitive. Should is used with the first person singular and plural, would is used with the second and third person singular and plural.

e.g. The world would be healthier if every chemist’s shop in England were demolished.

An unreal condition referring to the future can also be expressed by the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be + to – Infinitive of the notional verb or the analytical Subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should for all the persons. Such sentences are often translated by means of «Если бы случилось так…», «Случилось так…»

e.g. Well, Major, if you should send me to a difficult spot – with this man alone, I’d feel secure.

If in the subordinate clause the mood auxiliary should is used, we often find the Indicative Mood in the principal clause.

e.g. If he should come, ask him to wait.

In sentences of unreal condition referring to the Past Perfect of the Indicative Mood is used in the subordinate clause; in the principal clause we find the analytical subjunctive consisting of the mood auxiliary should or would and the Perfect Infinitive.

e.g. If I had consulted my own interests, I should never have come here.

There are two mixed types of sentences of unreal condition. In the first of these the condition refers to the past and the consequence refers to the present or future.

e.g. If you had taken your medicine yesterday, you would be well now.

In the second type the condition refers to no particular time and the consequence to the past.

e.g. If he were not so absent-minded, he would not have mistaken you for your sister.

In sentences of unreal condition the modal verbs might and cold are often used; they fully retain their modal meaning and therefore they do not form the analytical subjunctive.

Here we have the group «modal verb + Infinitive» which forms a compound verbal modal predicate, whereas the analytical subjunctive forms a simple predicate.

e.g. I could have done very well if I had been without the Murdstones.

Would, when used in the subordinate clause of a sentence of unreal condition, is also a modal verb forming with the infinitive a compound verbal modal predicate.

e.g. If you would come and see us…, mother would be as proud of your company as I should be.

The conjunctions introducing adverbial clauses of condition are: if, in case, provided, suppose, unless, and some others.

e.g. Suppose he wrote to you, would you answer?

Adverbial clauses of condition containing the verbs had, were, could and should are often introduced without any conjunctions. In these cases we find inversion.

e.g. Should he come this way, I will speak to him.

The Subjunctive Mood is used in sentences expressing what may be understood as an unreal consequence, the condition of which is not expressed as such.

e.g. There was no piano… because it would have taken up much room.

· The Subjunctive Mood is used in adverbial clauses of purpose.

When a clause of purpose is introduced by the conjunctions that, so that, in order that, we find the analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary may(might) if the principal clause refers to the present of future; if the principal clause refers to the past, only the form might is used.

As has already been stated, the mood auxiliary may(might) retains in this case a shade of modality.

e.g. He got up, cautiously, so that he might not wake the sleeping boy.

If a clause of purpose is introduced by lest the mood auxiliary should (for all persons) is generally used. Lest has a negative meaning (чтобы не).