Lecture 15: The Subjunctive Mood

15.1 Special Sentence Patterns

Basic Concepts

• Section 1: Subjunctive mood;
• Expressing hypothetical, unlikely, or counterfactual situations;
• Section 2: Inversion;
• Connecting ideas while giving special emphasis to one element;
• Section 3: Emphasis;
• Giving particular prominence to one part of a sentence;

15.2 The Subjunctive Mood

Four moods discussed in these notes

• The subjunctive is used for wishes, demands, hypotheticals, and situations contrary to fact;
• Four useful categories:
• Indicative: presents something as factual;
• Conditional: presents a result that depends on a condition;
• Subjunctive: presents a wish, demand, hypothetical situation, or counterfactual;
• Imperative: expresses a command, request, or instruction;

15.2.1 What Is the Subjunctive Mood?

Core idea

• The subjunctive expresses unreality or remoteness. Past-tense forms often mark distance from present reality rather than past time;
• A counterfactual describes a situation that is not true;
• Test 1: compare the statement with the known facts and ask whether it is contrary to fact;
• Test 2: if it refers to a hypothetical situation, ask whether it is presented as unlikely to occur;

Subjunctive verb forms

• The subjunctive is expressed through the finite verb phrase, whose form signals that the situation is hypothetical or counterfactual;

15.2.2 Counterfactual If-Clauses

How to recognize them

• Note:
• Not every sentence with if is counterfactual; many if-clauses describe real possibilities;
• Use ordinary indicative forms when the condition is genuinely possible;
• Use counterfactual forms when the condition is unreal, contrary to fact, or presented as unlikely;
• Tips:
• The clause introduced by if is the conditional clause; the other clause is the main clause;
• Method:
• 1. Backshift the verb in the if-clause;
• Present counterfactuals normally use a past-tense form; past counterfactuals use the past perfect;
• For a counterfactual about the past, use had + past participle;
• 2. Use an appropriate modal in the main clause;
• Main clause: would/could/should/might
• would: expected result;
• could: ability or possibility;
• should: expected or appropriate result;
• might: weaker possibility;
• Choose the modal that matches the intended meaning;
• 3. Unlikely future conditions often use the same main-clause pattern as present counterfactuals;

Past counterfactual

• Concept:
• Use the past perfect in the if-clause to describe a past condition that did not occur;
• Clause pattern:
• if clause: had done
• Main clause: would/could/should/might + have done
• Example:
• If he had played last season, however, he would have been one of 42.
• If he had played last season implies that he did not play last season;
• The if-clause uses had + past participle;

Present counterfactual

• Concept:
• Use a past-tense form in the if-clause for a present situation contrary to fact;
• Clause pattern:
• if clause: did/were
• Main clause: would/could/should/might + do
• Example:
• Your prospects would be almost as dismal if arguments were even just competitions-like, say, tennis games.
• If arguments were merely competitions, such as tennis matches, your prospects would be almost equally bleak.

Unlikely future condition

• Concept:
• A future event has not happened yet, so it may still occur; these marked forms present it as especially unlikely;
• The if-clause may use a past form, were to + verb, or should + verb;
• Clause pattern:
• if clause:
• 1. did/were
• 2. were to do
• 3. should do
• Main clause: would/could/should/might + do
• Example:
• If railroads charged all customers the same average rate…. Shippers… would do so, leaving remaining customers to shoulder the cost of keeping up the line.
• If railroads charged every customer the same average rate, some shippers would choose another option, leaving the remaining customers to bear the cost of maintaining the line;
• The situation has not occurred; it is presented as a hypothetical future outcome;

Summary

• Study goal:
• Be able to recognize and interpret the pattern;
• Direct questions on the subjunctive are relatively uncommon;
• Conclusion:
• 

15.2.3 Subjunctive Mood in Nominal Clauses

Basic Concepts

• If the main clause contains suggestions, commands, or demands, the subordinate clause should use the subjunctive mood;
• Whether it's a noun, verb, or adjective, if you want to express a suggestion, command, or request, you need to use the subjunctive mood;
• Nominal clauses include four types:
• Object clauses, predicative clauses, subject clauses, and appositive clauses;

Examples

• European ministers instantly demanded that the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) do likewise.
• This year, it was proposed that the system be changed: ...
• The main clause expresses a proposal;
• The subordinate clause therefore uses the mandative subjunctive (be changed);