The document discusses the English subjunctive verb mood. It notes that the subjunctive was used more frequently in Shakespeare's time but is now disappearing from modern English. However, the subjunctive is still used in certain contexts after verbs or adjectives expressing necessity, advice, or urgency. The present subjunctive has the base verb form, while the past subjunctive looks like the simple past tense except for the verb "to be." The subjunctive is commonly used in conditional sentences and after the verb "wish."

1. THE ENGLISH
(old
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. COMPARE TENSES:
SIMPLE PRESENT
PRESENT
TENSE
SUBJUNCTIVE
I go
I go
You go
You go
He/she/it goes
He/she/it go
We go
They go
We go
They go

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

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

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