For English learners: the Subjunctive
Definition
There are varying definitions of the subjunctive in English. Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines subjunctive as “in grammar, designating or of that mood of a verb used to express condition, hypothesis, contingency, possibility, etc., rather than to state an actual fact: distinguished from imperative, indicative.”
One important note: many scholars have dismissed the persistence of the subjunctive in its unmarked form, that is, when it is indistinguishable from the indicative. “I wish you were here” and “I wish they were here” are every bit in the subjunctive as “I wish she were here”. Just because “you” and “they” take “were” in both moods does not negate the existence of the subjunctive. Trust that in the earlier days of English, when verbs were distinguished by inflection (e.g., different ending forms), the indicative and subjunctive were quite distinct. A hallmark of the subjunctive is that tenses are often mixed – one says “I wish [present] she were [past? – ah, subjunctive] here” instead of “I wish [present] she is [present indicative, but incorrect] here”.
Learning by examples
Counterfactual Statements:
If I were you, then I would not do that.
I am not you, however, so I use the subjunctive to express this hypothetical or counterfactual condition. Especially note that the modern usage If I was you is completely incorrect.
If only she were here, then she would speak up.
She is not here, however, so the subjunctive expresses that fact appropriately. Again, If only she was has drifted into modern usage and should be avoided.
We should act as if he were watching.
We doubt that he is watching or know that he is not.
It is as though she were here.
We know she is not here, but it seems so.
Wishful statements:
She wishes she were not here.
The modern usage She wishes she was is incorrect.
He wishes he had a hammer.
Without the subjuctive, this would be constructed in the indicative as He wishes he has a hammer, but the indicative is incorrect.
I wish I knew.
This formulation is distinctly different the following indicative statement: I wish I know (which makes no sense). The indicative is inappropriate here.
Conjunctive formulations:
Do this now, lest you be harried later.
Lest typically takes the subjunctive.
He keeps the faith, though he face so many trials.
Here, though takes the subjunctive. This sounds very pretentious.
9 Answers
If I were you, then I would not do that.
I am not you, however, so I use the subjunctive to express this hypothetical or counterfactual condition. Especially note that the modern usage If I was you is completely incorrect.
I don't disagree with what you have written, I just want to clarify one point. The hypothetical condition referred to here makes reference to a present state, that is it is a condition contrary to present fact. When this is the the case, it is necessary to use what is referred to as the past subjunctive. It should be clear then that the past subjunctive does not imply that it be used to describe events in the past but instead was named in accordance with the morphological similarities between it and the (simple) past indicative. As a result, the corresponding sentence using the indicative would be ? If I am you, then I would not do that. Of course, it should be clear to most that such an utterance makes little sense.
On the other hand, if the hypothetical condition makes reference to some past state–namely, the condition is contrary to past fact–then the past perfect subjunctive is used. Again, here it is named due to its morphologic similarities to the indicative of the same name and not as an indication either tense or aspect in the usual sense. An example of this usage would be ? If it had been me, I would not have done that. Contrastingly, the analogous verb in the indicative would be considered incorrect here ? If it was me, I would not have done that.
I wish there was a way to meet you. Is this correct?- Dakie
Older, prescriptive grammar books insist on the use of the subjunctive form "were". Most modern, descriptive grammar books accept both "were" and "was" as being grammatically acceptable, but they suggest that "I wish there were" is more appropriate in formal contexts.
My opinion is that if your purpose is just to talk with native speakers, you can use "I wish there was". But if you want to study something by reading books or other forms of formal documents written in English, it would be better if you learn "I wish there were" is more appropriate, because writers of such a document mostly have used and still are using "I wish there were" in their writing.
Yes Margaret
In English the subjunctive is simply a matter of changing the verb "to be" to "were" for all persons - If I "were" you = I am not you.
and all for 3rd person verbs by just dropping the "s" - I want that he come here. I want that he be here.
I think all other subjunctive structures are coverd by the correct use of Modals. - I wish he would come here.
Is this too simplistic? Does anyone have any comments?
I wish there was a way to meet you. Is this correct?
This is informative for me even as native speaker because like you say, it is so indistingushable from the indicative that most native English speakers are unaware of it.
Do this now, lest you be harried later.
Lest typically takes the subjunctive.
He keeps the faith, though he face so many trials.
Here, though takes the subjunctive. This sounds very pretentious.
It might be more accurate to say that lest/though are often followed by a verb in the subjunctive or that they often signal the use of the subjunctive. As it stands, it almost sounds as though you were implying that the words lest and though be conjugated in the subjunctive.
Bumping this up for Spanish natives!!
Let's see if more Spanish natives get to see this
Nice article, john
I'm just browsing through threads at the moment. This one looks good.
