Subjunctive Mood
 indicative mood
 imperative mood
 subjunctive mood
Two forms of subjunctive mood
 BE-subjunctive
 WERE-subjunctive
Two forms of subjunctive mood
 BE-subjunctive: realized by the base form of
a verb
 WERE-subjunctive: realized by the verb
“were”(past tense form)
Uses of Subjunctive
Present:
1. If I were tired, I would have a rest.
Past:
1. If he had set out earlier, he would have
caught the early bus.
Future:
1. If I should have time tomorrow, I would go to the library.
2. If he were to come here this evening, we would invite him
to attend the party.
3. If it rained this afternoon, the football match would be
postponed until next Saturday.
Uses of Subjunctive
 The subjunctive is used in English to
express a command, desire, hypothesis,
purpose, doubt, or supposition.
 Content clauses expressing commands,
requests, or suggestions commonly use the
present subjunctive.
Uses of Subjunctive
 such a clause may be introduced by a verb
like propose, suggest, recommend, move (in
the parliamentary sense), demand, or
mandate, by an adjective like imperative,
important, adamant, or necessary, or by a
noun like insistence or proposal
Uses of Subjunctive
 To express a wish
 The past subjunctive is used after the verb
to wish: I wish he were here or I wished he
were there. This use of the subjunctive is
sometimes known as the "volitional"
subjunctive.
Uses of Subjunctive
 To express a hypothesis
 The past subjunctive is used after the
conjunction if in a contrary-to-fact protasis.
For example:
 If I were a millionaire, I would buy a sports
car.
 If he had a car with him, he could drive us
there.
Uses of Subjunctive
 By far the most common use of the
subjunctive is the use of the subjunctive
after "if" clauses that state or describe a
hypothetical situation.
 If I were a butterfly, I would have wings.
BE-subjunctive
1. Decide,decree, suggest, move
2. advisable, appropriate, essential,
imperative
3. decision, decree, instruction, requirement
BE-subjunctive
 It is imperative that the new law be
implemented.
If the rumor be true, everything is possible.
If the rumor were true, everything would be
possible.
If the rumor should be true, everything is
possible
Were-subjunctive
 If I were in school again, I would wok
harder.
 Were I in school again, I would work
harder.
If I were rich, I would build up a large house
for poor people.
Were-subjunctive
 simple past
 if …should
 if …were to
Inverted conditional clause
 Were…
Were you in my position, you would do the
same.
 Had…
Had I time, I would come.
 Should…
Subjunctive in set phrases
 It is (high, about) time (that)…
 I would rather / sooner (that)…
 If only…
 …as if / as though…
 I wish (that)…
Exercises


He left orders that nothing ____ touched until the
police arrived here.
should be
B. ought to be C. must be
D. would be





2. I was to have made a speech if ____.
A. I was not called away
B. nobody would have called me away
C. I had not been called away
D. nobody called me away

Exercises
3. If you have really been studying English for so
long, it’s about time you ____ able to write letters
in English.
A. should be B. were C. must be D. are
4. Much as ____, I couldn't lend him the money
because I simply didn't have that much spare
cash.
A. I would have liked to
B. I would like to have
C. I should have to like D. I should have liked to
Exercises
 5. If your car ____ any attention during the first 12





month, take it to an authorised dealer.
shall need
B. should need
C. would need D. will need
6. ____ enough time and money, the researcher
would have been able to discover more in this field.
A. Giving
B. To give
C. Given
D. Being given
Exercises
 7. All of us would have enjoyed the party





much more if there _ quite such a crowd of
people there.
A. weren't
B. hasn’t been
C. hadn’t been
D. wouldn't be
8. ____ for the fact that she broke her leg,
she might have passed the exam.
A. Had it not been B. Hadn’t it been
C. Was it not
D. Were it not