This is a presentation about the Subjunctive in English

1. (old
THE ENGLISH
SUBJUNCTIVE

2. YOU HAVE LEARNED A LOT OF VERB
TENSES SO FAR:
SIMPLE PRESENT
PRESENT PERFECT
PAST CONTINUOUS
PRESENT PERFECT
ETC. ETC. ETC.

3. THE SUBJUNCTIVE IS ONE MORE!

4. LANGUAGE CHANGES OVER TIME.

5. 500 YEARS AGO, IN SHAKESPEARE’S TIME,
AND THE TIME THE BIBLE WAS
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, THERE WAS
A LOT OF SUBJUNCTIVE

6. FOR EXAMPLE, FROM THE BIBLE:
BLESSED BE THE PEACEMAKERS.
(= THE PEACEMAKERS SHOULD BE
BLESSED.)

7. FOR EXAMPLE, FROM SHAKESPEARE:
WOULD THAT HE WERE HERE (= I WISH
THAT HE WAS HERE)

8. NOW, THE SUBJUNCTIVE IS SLOWLY
DISAPPEARING FROM ENGLISH, BUT
SOMETIMES WE STILL USE IT.

9. PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE IS THE BASE
FORM OF THE VERB:

10. I BE, YOU BE, HE BE, SHE BE, THEY BE,
YOU BE, WE BE
I GO, YOU GO, HE GO, SHE GO, THEY GO,
YOU GO, WE GO

11. WE USE THE PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE
AFTER CERTAIN VERBS AND ADJECTIVES
THAT “TAKE” THE SUBJUNCTIVE.
THESE ARE WORDS THAT COMMUNICATE
ADVICE, NECESSITY AND URGENCY:

12. HIS TEACHER SUGGESTED THAT HE TAKE
A GRAMMAR CLASS.
MY HUSBAND’S BOSS DEMANDS THAT HE
WORK ON SUNDAYS.
IT IS URGENT THAT SHE SEE A DOCTOR
IMMEDIATELY.

13. FOR MOST USES OF THE PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE, THERE
ARE OTHER WAYS TO EXPRESS THE SAME IDEA:
HIS TEACHER SUGGESTED THAT HE TAKE A GRAMMAR
CLASS = HIS TEACHER SUGGESTED TAKING A GRAMMAR
CLASS.
MY HUSBAND’S BOSS REQUIRES THAT HE WORK ON
SUNDAYS = MY HUSBAND’S BOSS REQUIRES HIM TO WORK
ON SUNDAYS.
IT IS URGENT THAT SHE SEE A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY = IT IS
URGENT FOR HER TO SEE A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.

14. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU BE
POLITE TO YOUR UNCLE =
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE
POLITE TO YOUR UNCLE.

15. PAST SUBJUNCTIVE LOOKS LIKE THE
SIMPLE PAST TENSE FOR MOST VERBS:
IF I HAD
IF YOU KNEW
IF HE DIDN’T WORK HARD

16. PAST SUBJUNCTIVE OF THE VERB TO BE
IS DIFFERENT:
IF I WERE
IF YOU WERE
IF HE WEREN’T A HARD WORKER

17. OUR MOST COMMON USE OF THE PAST
SUBJUNCTIVE IS IN TYPE 2 CONDITIONAL
SENTENCES:
I WOULD STAY HOME AND STUDY THIS
WEEKEND IF I WERE YOU.
IF HE WERE HERE, HE COULD HELP US.

18. WE ALSO USE THE PAST CONDITIONAL
AFTER THE VERB WISH:
I WISH MY FAMILY WERE HERE.
I WISH I HAD A CAR.

19. NOTE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WISH
AND HOPE:
I WISH I HAD A CAR (= THIS IS A DREAM,
AND I DON’T THINK I CAN GET ONE.)
I HOPE (THAT) I WILL GET A CAR = I HOPE
TO GET A CAR (= I EXPECT THAT IT WILL
BE POSSIBLE IN THE FUTURE.)

20. SIMPLE PRESENT
TENSE
PRESENT
SUBJUNCTIVE
I go I go
You go You go
He/she/it goes He/she/it go
We go We go
They go They go
COMPARE TENSES:

21. PRESENT TENSE PRESENT
SUBJUNCTIVE
I am I be
You are You be
He/she/it is He/she/it be
We are We be
They are They be
COMPARE VERB TO BE:

22. SIMPLE PAST
TENSE
PAST
SUBJUNCTIVE
I went I went
You went You went
He/she/it went He/she/it went
We went We went
They went They went
COMPARE TENSES:

23. PAST TENSE PAST
SUBJUNCTIVE
I was I were
You were You were
He/she/it was He/she/it were
We were We were
They were They were
COMPARE VERB TO BE: