Common errors in the use of the subjunctive mood among the third year english major students at HPU2 and suggested solutions

HANOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY N 0 2 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FACULTY TRIEU THI PHUONG COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD AMONG THE THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HPU2 AND S

HANOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY N 0 2 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FACULTY

TRIEU THI PHUONG

COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF THE

SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD AMONG THE THIRD-YEAR ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT HPU2 AND

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS

(GRADUATION PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH)

Supervisors: Ms Emily Parenteau

Mr nguyen Van Den, M.A

HA NOI, 2015

My sincere thanks also extended to teachers and students in the K38 class of the Foreign Language Faculty at Hanoi Pedagogical University No2 for their cooperation and for their help during my survey process The teachers‟ permission along with the students‟ support helped me collect the necessary and sufficient data for the survey Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and my friends for helping and encouraging me throughout my research

ABSTRACT

The subjunctive mood is an interesting category of English grammar It is used to express something that is not true, a statement contrary to fact Although it is somewhat rare, questions concerning the subjunctive are very often featured on English language certification exams However, constructions using the subjunctive are not very easy to recognize and they often cause confusion and embarrassment for learners of English

Students of English often make errors when they use the subjunctive mood Thus, this research entails studying the types and uses of the subjunctive mood and conducting a survey for error analysis

The types of errors and their causes have been found from the results of the survey In addition, the researcher suggests some solutions for those problems

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

Title:

Common Errors in the Use of the Subjunctive Mood among the Third-Year

English Major Students at Hanoi Pedagogical University N o 2

and Suggested Solutions

I certify that no part of this report has been copied or reproduced by me from any other person‟s work without acknowledgements and that the report is originally written by me under strict guidance from my supervisors

Date submitted: May 2015

Mr Nguyen Van Den, M.A

ABBRIVIATIONS

2nd ed : Second Edition

3rd ed : Third Edition

4th ed : Fourth Edition

8th ed : Eight Edition

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i

ABSTRACT iii

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP iv

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION I RATIONALE 1

II RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION 2

III RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 3

IV RESEARCH SCOPE 3

V RESEARCH METHODS 3

VI RESEARCH TASKS 3

VII RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE 3

VIII DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH 4

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE – THEORETICAL BACKGROUND I.1 Literature Review in Brief 5

I.2 Concept of Mood in English 8

I.2.1 Definitions of Mood 8

I.2.2 Classification of Mood 8

I.2.2.1.The Indicative Mood 8

I.2.2.2 The Subjunctive Mood 8

I.2.2.3 The Imperative Mood 9

I.3 An Overview of the Subjunctive 9

I.3.1 Definitions of the Subjunctive Mood 9

I.3.2 Classification and Form of the Subjunctive 10

I.3.2.1 The Present Subjunctive 10

I.3.2.2 The Past Subjunctive 11

I.3.3 Use of the Subjunctive Mood 11

I.3.3.1 The Mandative Subjunctive 11

I.3.3.2 The Formulaic Subjunctive 12

I.3.3.3 The Past Subjunctive with “Would Rather…That” 13

I.3.3.4.The Past Subjunctive in Unreal Conditional Sentences 13

I.3.3.5 The Past Subjunctive in “Wish” Sentences 15

I.3.3.6 The Past Subjunctive with “As If/As Though” 15

I.3.3.7 The Past Subjunctive with “If Only” and “It is (High) Time” 16

I.3.4 Patterns of the Subjunctive 18

I.3.4.1 Compound Forms 18

I.3.4.2 “Should” as Subjunctive 18

CHAPTER TWO COMMON ERRORS IN THE USE OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE II.1 SURVEY 20

II.1.1 Purpose of the Survey 20

II.1.2 Population of the Survey 21

II.1.3 Type of the Survey 21

II.1.4 Construction of the Test 21

II.1.5 Preparation of the Survey 22

II.1.5.1 Test Items 22

II.1.5.2 Arrangement of Test Items 22

II.1.6 Administration of the Survey 23

II.1.6.1 Preparation of the Survey 23

II.1.6.2 Delivery of the Survey 23

II.1.7 Methods of Data Analysis 24

II.1.8 Results of the Survey 24

II.2 COMMON ERRORS AND CAUSES 26

II.2.1 Errors in the Form of the Verb “to be” in the Mandative Subjunctive 26

II.2.2 Errors in the Use of the Subjunctive in Reported Speech 27

II.2.3 Errors in the Verbs‟ Form of the Formulaic Subjunctive 27

II.2.4 Errors in the Use of the Past Subjunctive with “As If” and “As Though” 28

II.2.5 Errors in Verb Form for the Third Person Singular in the Mandative Subjunctive 28

II.2.6 Errors in making negative form of the Subjunctive 29

II.2.7 Errors in the Use of the Past Subjunctive with “If only” 29

II.2.8 Errors in the Use of the Past Subjunctive in “Wish” sentences 29

II.2.9 Errors in the Form of the Verb “to be” in the Past Subjunctive 30

II.2.10 Errors in the Use of the Past Subjunctive with “Would rather/sooner” 30

II.2.11 Errors in the Use of the Past Subjunctive in Conditional sentences 30

II.2.12 Errors in the Use of the Past Subjunctive with “It‟s (high) time” 31

II.3 Suggested Solutions and Exercises 32

II.3.1 Suggested Solutions 32

II.3.2 Suggested Exercises 33

PART THREE - CONCLUSION III.1 Summary of the Research 35

III.2 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Study 36

III.2.1 Limitations 36

III.2.2 Suggestions for Further Study 36

`REFERENCES 37

APPENDIX 39

PART ONE: INTRODUCTION

I RATIONALE

The development of science and modern technology along with the integration and socio-economic globalization trends has brought about a great demand for intercommunication As a result, English has become an international language which

is popularly used in almost every aspect of life and almost all economic sectors It has become a bridge among countries and is considered a means of communication creating mutual understanding among people around the world Up to now, English has been regarded as a second language of many countries in general and an official language of international organizations in particular According to the article titled The History of English (2011) stated that 85 percent of international organizations have English as at least one of their official languages, about one third of international organizations (including OPEC, EFTA and ASEAN) use English only and this figure rises to almost 90 percent among Asian international organizations

In Vietnam, as in many Asian nations, English plays an important role Learning English has become more prevalent and to be seen as more necessary for than ever before English is taught as one of the core subjects in many levels of education Vietnamese students are made aware of the importance and necessity of studying English to meet the increasingly important social and economic demand However, mastering the English language is not a simple thing Learners of English encounter a great variety of difficulties in acquiring not only grammatical rules but also language skills due to the learners‟ mother tongue interference and oftentimes significant cultural factors Grammar is an extremely important part of learning English Crystal (2004) states:

Grammar is the structural foundation of our ability to express ourselves The more we are aware of how it works, the more we can monitor the meaning and effectiveness of the way we and others use language It can help foster precision, detect ambiguity, and exploit the richness of expression available in English (p.26)

However, when compared with other languages, English is seen to have a complicated grammar system It often causes embarrassment and confusion for students, especially in communication.It is obviously true that the difficulties in using grammar might considerably interfere with students practicing English language skills

Among multiple categories of English grammar, one of the most challenging grammatical categories can be the subjunctive mood In present-day English, the subjunctive mood is not used as often as it was in old-English However, it still exits in modern formal English (Glencoe, 2002, p.39) and often appears in examinations for recognized English language certifications To use it correctly and effectively is a challenge for many students, especially those in Vietnam In modern English, the

corresponding indicative form This means that the subjunctive is not a very visible grammatical feature of English For most verbs, the only distinct subjunctive form is found in the third person singular of the present tense, where the subjunctive lacks

the -s ending As a consequence of this quality of indistinctness, students often have

difficulties in mastering the subjunctive mood thoroughly

The analysis of students‟ errors plays a significant role in English teaching and learning It helps teachers identify students‟ strategies of language learning and their level of proficiency, so that teachers can then find out suitable ways to improve current situations It also helps students understand fundamental mistakes and have a better overall picture of the subjunctive mood

For the reasons above, this study was conducted with the aim of focusing on errors in using the subjunctive mood among third-year English major students at Hanoi Pedagogical University Number 2 (HPU2) and suggesting some solutions

II RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION

With regard to suggesting some solutions for common errors in using the subjunctive mood, the following questions are raised:

- What kinds of errors in the subjunctive mood are made by third-year English major students at HPU2?

- What percentage of the errors do these account for?

- Which error made by third-year English major students is the most common?

- What are the causes of the errors in using the subjunctive mood made by third-year English major students at HPU2?

- What are some effective ways of minimizing the errors that English major students at HPU2 commonly make?

III RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The study is aimed at the following goals:

- To find out the common types of errors in the use of the subjunctive mood made by third-year English major students at HPU2

- To find what is causing the third-year English major students to make these errors

- To offer some suggestions to minimize errors in using the subjunctive mood

IV RESEARCH SCOPE

The general research area of this study is Grammar The phenomena are the errors in the use of the subjunctive mood made by the English major students of the Foreign Language Faculty (FLF) Other topics relating to the subjunctive mood are also briefly mentioned

The population involved in the study was one hundred students in class K38 (including 64 students in the Bachelor of Arts program and 36 students in the Bachelor

of Pedagogy program) of the FLF at HPU2 in the academic year of 2014-2015

V RESEARCH METHODS

With a view to finding out the common errors as well as the possible solutions for these errors in using the subjunctive mood, all local and foreign documents will be collected and reviewed A survey is designed and conducted After they have been collected, the results will be analyzed and their possible solutions will be explained

VI RESEARCH TASKS

The study involves fulfilling the following tasks:

- To study the definition, form, classification and uses of the subjunctive mood

in English

- To conduct a survey to find out error types and causes related to the subjunctive mood in English

- To suggest some solutionswhich could help to minimize the students‟ errors

VII RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE

To many students of English, making mistakes in using English grammar in general as well as the subjunctive mood in particular is unavoidable due to its complexity However, using the proper methods, it might be possible to minimize the errors Thus, it is hoped that the study will help to provide:

- A full and clear understanding of the subjunctive mood

- Ways to assist students in minimizing the common types of errors

- A useful reference on the issue of the subjunctive mood in English for both teachers and students with the aim of ensuring a deep and clear understanding

of all related aspects

VIII DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH

The research is divided into three main parts: Introduction, Development and Conclusion

Part One gives reasons for choosing the topic, objectives, and methods as well as the significance of the study It also narrows the scope of the study and briefly presents

an overall outline of the research

Part Two consists of two chapters Chapter One is called Theoretical Background, which first presents the literature review in brief and a general overview

of mood in English including its definition and classification This is followed by a specific overview of the subjunctive mood The subjunctive mood is presented in detail including its definition, form, classification, and uses Some special patterns of the subjunctive are also examined Chapter Two is about common errors in the use of the subjunctive mood including three sections The first section describes specifically the research methodology which relates to the survey, a description of subjects, the survey construction, preparation of the survey, and the methods of data analysis It is the most important section in the entire the research The second section deals with common errors in the use of the subjunctive mood and their causes The last one suggests some solutions and exercises to minimize these errors

Part Three summarizes the contents of the research, points out limitations of the research and gives some suggestions for further study

PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE – THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

I.1 Literature Review in Brief

In general, the constructions of the subjunctive mood are relatively numerous and quite difficult to recognize and distinguish Up to now, a large number of grammarians have been interested in this grammatical feature, notably including Quirk and Greenbaum (1973), Thomson and Martinet (1986), Azar (1989), Doan Minh and Nguyen Thi Tuyet (2001), Richard (2002), Vince (2003), and Murphy (2012), to name

a very few Almost all of these authors focus their attention on the verb forms of the subjunctive, its classification, and uses

In the book A University Grammar of English, Quirk and Greenbaum (1973) give

information about mood in English They indicate three distinguishable categories of the subjunctive: the mandative subjunctive, the formulaic subjunctive, and the subjunctive “were” They also explain in detail the verb forms and the usage of each category

In A Practical English Grammar (4th ed.), Thomson and Martinet (1986) focus

on the verb forms and uses of the present and past subjunctive (or unreal past) mood They also show in detail some constructions of the subjunctive with “would rather” and “would sooner”; “It is (high) time”; the conjunctions “as if” and “as though”; and the subjunctive in conditional and “wish” sentences They also include an analysis of the use of unreal past tenses in indirect speech and notes when using these constructions of the subjunctive mood

In his book entitled Essentials of English Grammar: A Practical Guide to the

Mastery of English (2nd ed.), Baugh (1987) also conducts her research on the three types of mood After conveying the usage of mood, she indicates specific functions of the indicative, the imperative, and the subjunctive mood She states that the subjunctive mood uses a different form of the present and the past to express matters

of urgency, formality, possibility, and speculation Additionally, she also indicates the different between the subjunctive and the indicative mood The subjunctive is used to express something that is not true, a statement contrary to fact, while the indicative simply states a fact

Azar (1989) studied the use of the subjunctive in noun clause in his book entitled

Understanding and Using English Grammar He discusses some common verbs and

expressions which are followed by the subjunctive in a noun clause, such as insist, ask,

advise, request, recommend, suggest, demand, it is necessary/important/vital/essential/ advisable/imperative that, and many of the subjunctive‟s other uses He also discusses

the formation of negative and passive sentences in the subjunctive mood

Collins and Hollo (2000) are unlike many other grammarians in the way they

conduct their research on clause type and mood In their book entitled English

Grammar: An Introduction, they mainly emphasize six forms of the subjunctive mood:

counterfactual, imperative, necessity, proposition, supposition, and wish Each form has its own use and function

Doan Minh and Nguyen Thi Tuyet (2001) further the study of mood in their book

named English Grammar for Advanced Students They firstly define the concept of

mood: “Mood refers to the sort of attitude the speaker has when he says the sentence” Next, they briefly introduce its classification including three kinds of mood: the indicative, the imperative, and the subjunctive Then, they specifically focus on the subjunctive mood, its types, and uses Like Thomson and Martinet, they also explain the uses of two types of the subjunctive mood They go on to talk about the uses of

“wish”, “if only”, “would rather/sooner”, and “it is (high) time” in the subjunctive mood In addition, to help learners have a clear understanding of the subjunctive mood, the difference between the present and the future tense of the unreal condition is also drawn out They say that the present and future tense of unreal conditional sentences share the same form; the difference is the adverbial modifier of time They also add that unreal past tense does not change in indirect speech

In An Introduction to Old English, Richard (2002) deals with the usages of the

subjunctive mood in Old English and present-day English He shows when the subjunctive mood is used, how it works and which usages in Old English still remain

in present-day English This historical perspective is important to a well-rounded understanding of the subjunctive mood, and informs much of the background for current research

Vince (2003) focuses his attention on unreal time and subjunctives in his book

entitled Advanced Language Practice He gives explanations for the uses of some

constructions with the subjunctive, such as “it is (high) time”, “wishes”, “would rather” (followed by a clause), and “as if/though” He also explains the uses and verb forms of formal subjunctives and mentions some fixed expressions using subjunctives, which is called formal subjunctives In formal subjunctives, he says that after verbs

such as demand, insist, suggest, and require, the subjunctive may be used in formal

style This has only the infinitive form; there is no third person singular –s or past tense form

In English Grammar in Use (4 th ed.), Murphy (2012) deals with the subjunctive

mood in terms of the conjunctions as if/as though, structures with would rather and it is

time, the uses of wish and conditional sentences He also gives explanations for the use

of “should” after noun clauses, such as when using It is essential/

vital/necessary/important, etc that and after the number of verbs and adjectives like insist, recommend, suggest, surprise, strange, and others

In his speech at a TED conference titled Grammar, Identity, and the Dark Side of

the Subjunctive, the scholar Phuc Tran (2012) firstly introduces the importance of

studying the subjunctive He states:

Grammar is a tool to be used like a pair of glasses And when it‟s used at the right time,

it can bring the world into sharp focus And when it‟s used at the wrong time, it can make things incredibly blurry And this all starts with our understanding of the subjunctive

Then, he indicates the dark side of the use of the subjunctive mood is that the subjunctive allows us to be creative, but it also allows us to become mired in regret Meanwhile, the indicative does not allow us to imagine, however, it does allow us to talk about ourselves and our experience in real terms Finally, he mentions the way that grammar affects culture He shows a finding that Viet Nam is the most optimistic country in the world In his opinion, this is because it is a country whose language does not naturally have the subjunctive and does not encourage its speakers to obsess over the idea of “could have been”

In short, each grammarian mentioned has made a certain contribution to the study

of the subjunctive mood Most of the knowledge they offer is extremely useful for students However, none of these grammarians deal with errors that students most

frequently make when using the subjunctive mood Therefore, it is necessary to have a detailed description of students‟ errors in using the subjunctive and then to find effective ways of minimizing these mistakes It is to this aim that the research will be conducted

I.2 Concept of Mood in English

I.2.1 Definitions of Mood

A large number of definitions of mood have been given in many grammar books and dictionaries While these definitions are not always identical, many of them have

some features in common In English Grammar for Advanced Students, Doan and

Nguyen put it quite simply: “Mood refers to the sort of attitude the speaker has when

he says the sentence” (2001, p.37) In the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (8th

ed.), mood is defined as “any of the sets of verb forms that show whether what is said

or written is certain, possible, necessary, etc or one of the categories of verb use that expresses facts, orders, questions, wishes or conditions” (2010) According to Quirk

and Greenbaum in A University Grammar of English: “Mood relates the verbal action

to such conditions as certainty, obligation, necessity or possibility; the expression of

the future is closely bound up with mood” (1973, p.40) In short, mood is the form of

the verb that shows the mode or manner in which a thought is expressed or an action is represented

I.2.2 Classification of Mood

There are three moods in English: the indicative mood, the subjunctive mood, and the imperative mood (Baugh, 1987)

I.2.2.1.The Indicative Mood

A sentence has a verb in the indicative mood when it declares its contents or asks its question directly without expressions of attitude

Will you come to my party tomorrow?

Most English verbs are in the indicative (Doan & Nguyen, 2001)

I.2.2.2 The Subjunctive Mood

A sentence has a verb in the subjunctive mood when it expresses a hypothetical

or doubtful situation, or something contrary to fact As in the following example:

If I were you, I would stay at home

(In this example, the speaker is giving advice based on the impossibility that he

or she was the listener Therefore, this sentence is hypothetical)

I.2.2.3 The Imperative Mood

A sentence has its verb in the imperative mood when it is used for giving orders, commands, instructions, or requests

I.3 An Overview of the Subjunctive

I.3.1 Definitions of the Subjunctive Mood

According to Baugh, “the subjunctive mood uses a different form of the past and present to express matters of urgency, formality, possibility, or speculation” (1987) For example:

- Urgency: I demanded that she see me immediately

(In the regular form of the verb, it would be conjugated as „she sees.‟ However, the speaker here wishes to express urgency, which is one function of the subjunctive mood, thus the construction changes to „she see.‟)

- Formality: He recommended that the zoning law be adopted

(The speaker is referring to laws and is likely speaking in a formal setting Normally, the construction would be “the zoning law is adopted,” but as the speaker must express formality, they will use the subjunctive form “the zoning law be adopted”.)

- Possibility: If he were to come, I would not be like this

(This sentence expresses a future possibility It has no reference to the past, even though “were” is a past tense verb form.)

- Speculation: If I were president, I would decree that smoking be banned

(In this sentence, the speaker expresses a hypothetical situation that he is president However, in fact, he is not president so he cannot decree that smoking should be banned.)

The subjunctive mood is different from the indicative mood in that it expresses something that is not true, a statement contrary to fact, while the indicative mood

simply states a fact In its GMAT Ultimate Grammar, the GMAT Club notes: “The

subjunctive is used to indicate that one person wants another person to do something”

(2011, p.168) According to the Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary (8th ed.), the subjunctive is defined as the form or mood of a verb that expresses wishes, possibility,

or uncertainty (2010)

For example: I wish I were taller

(In this sentence above, the speaker expresses a wish that is contrary to fact that; he is

not taller, so were is a subjunctive verb form.)

In short, subjunctive verb forms are rarely used in present-day English and subjunctive verbs are invariable They do not exhibit subject-verb concord as in the following example:

I suggested that he see a doctor

(Normally, the form of “to see” that is used for “he” is “sees” However, as subjunctive-verb concord is not exhibited by subjunctive verbs, “see” is used for “he”

in this sentence.)

I.3.2 Classification and Form of the Subjunctive

In English, the subjunctive mood is classified as the present or the past subjunctive (Thomson & Martinet, 1986)

I.3.2.1 The Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive has exactly the same form as the infinitive, therefore the present subjunctive of “to be” is “be” for all persons, and the present subjunctive of all other verbs is the same as the present tense However, “s” is not added for the third person singular As in the following examples:

The Queen lives here (simple present tense) Long live the Queen! (present subjunctive tense)

I.3.2.2 The Past Subjunctive

The past subjunctive has exactly the same form as the simple past However, the past subjunctive form of the verb “be” is either I/he/she/it was or I/he/she/it were In expressions of doubt or unreality, “were” is more common than “was”

Example: He behaves as though he were the owner

(This sentence expresses an unreality In fact, he is not the owner)

I.3.3 Use of the Subjunctive Mood

I.3.3.1 The Mandative Subjunctive

The mandative subjunctive in that-clauses has only the base form; this means

that there is no s-ending of the finite verb in the third person singular, or past form The verb “be” is “be” for all persons

This subjunctive can be used with any verb in subordinate that-clauses when the

main clause contains an expression of recommendation, resolution, demand, or related ideas

Below are some common verbs that are often followed by the subjunctive in

that-clauses:

Examples: I insist that he leave now

The teacher demanded that we be on time

The present subjunctive is also used in that-clauses following adjectives of urgency such as advisable, vital, desirable, important, necessary, urgent, and

essential These statements are similar to commands, but they are impersonal and

therefore softer (2009, p.128)

It is advisable that he have a balanced diet

There are a few items that are important to note when discussing this issue The first is that the present subjunctive can be used after nouns that are corresponding to these verbs, including but not limited to suggestions, recommendations, and proposals

Examples: My recommendation is that we be on time

My proposal is that his resignation be accepted

To make the negative form, the speaker must put “not” before verbs in the clause after

“that”, as in:

I insist that he not leave now

The teacher suggests that we not be noisy

I.3.3.2 The Formulaic Subjunctive

The formulaic subjunctive also consists of the base form of the verb, but it is only used in clauses in certain set expressions which have to be learned as wholes They are used to express a wish or hope and often involve supernatural powers

For example: Come what may

God save the Queen!

Heaven forbid that God bless you!

This is also found in the phrase “if need be”, which means “if it is necessary”

(This sentence implies that if it is necessary, the speaker and the other referents

of “we” have the option to bring another umbrella.)

Ha (1993, p.268) stated that a wish can be expressed using the formula:

May + S + bare infinitive Examples: May you be happy in all your life

May my grandfather live a long life

I.3.3.3 The Past Subjunctive with “Would Rather…That”

This form of the subjunctive expresses actions contrary to fact at the present

Would rather is followed by past form of the verb, as wishes about the present and the

verb “to be” is conjugated as “were” for all persons It expresses preference about actions, and can be expressed using the formula:

S1 + would rather that + S2 + verb [in simple past tense]

For examples:

I would rather that he paid cash

(In fact, he doesn‟t pay or doesn‟t plan to pay cash.)

I would rather that it were summer now

(In fact, it is not summer now.)

It can also be used for expressing actions contrary to fact in the past Would

rather can be followed by the past perfect form of the verb to express wishes about the

past, using the formula:

S1 + would rather that + S2 + past perfect For example:

Tom would rather that Jill had gone to school yesterday

(In fact, Jill didn‟t go to school yesterday.) The following items are important to note:

 That is allowed to be omitted in some forms of the subjunctive with would rather

in modern grammar Many writers opt to omit it in favor of concision or brevity

 To make negative forms, did not and were not are used after the second subject

For example: I would rather that he didn‟t come

 One can use would sooner interchangeably with would rather, there is no

different between the sentiments they express

I.3.3.4.The Past Subjunctive in Unreal Conditional Sentences

The unreal conditional is used to convey a situation that would take place, or would have taken place, if the circumstances were, or had been, different It can refer

to past, present, or future situations

a The Past Subjunctive in the Second Conditional

This form is created using the formula:

If + S + V_simple past tense + would/could/might+ V_simple form

Conditional type two is used when the supposition is contrary to known facts It

is also used when one does not expect the action in the if-clause to occur

Examples:

I would go to the concert if it were possible

 This sentence is untrue because I know that I cannot go to the concert

If a stranger followed me at night, I would run as fast as possible

(But I do not expect a stranger to follow me at night.)

Thomson & Martinet state: “The past tense in the if clause of conditional

sentences type two is not a true past but a subjunctive, which indicates unreality or improbability in the present or future” (1986, p.198)

Examples:

If I had a car, I would lend it to you

(But I don‟t have a car The meaning here is in the present.)

If someone tried to break into my house, I would tell the police

(The meaning here is the hypothetical future, because currently there is

no one trying to break into my house.)

b The Past Subjunctive in the Third Conditional

The past subjunctive in the third conditional is expressed using the following formula:

If + S + V_past perfect + would/could/might+ have + V_past participle

The subjunctive in the third conditionals indicates unreality or improbability in the past

For example: If Rob hadn‟t gone to the party, he wouldn‟t have lost his job

(In reality, Rob went to the party and he lost his job.) When using this form, it is important to note that:

 The if clause can also come at the beginning of the sentence without changing the meaning However, when the if clause begins the sentence, a comma is used to

separate it from the main clause

Example:

I could go to the ball game if I didn‟t have to work

OR If I didn‟t have to work, I could go to the ball game

 In the unreal condition, the past tense form of the verb “be” is always “were” It

can never be “was.”

 If the verb in the unreal conditional sentence is positive, the meaning is actually negative If the verb is negative, the meaning is actually positive

For examples:

If he were taller, he could play professional basketball

(He is not tall, he cannot play professional basketball.)

I could record an album if I were a better singer

(I cannot record an album; I am not a better singer.)

If the taxi driver hadn‟t been speeding, he wouldn‟t have been in an accident (The taxi driver was speeding He was in an accident.)

They would have received tickets if they hadn‟t been late

(They didn‟t receive tickets They were late.)

I.3.3.5 The Past Subjunctive in “Wish” Sentences

The verb wish indicates something that definitely did not happen or will not

happen It is never followed by a present tense verb or an auxiliary verb It is important

to keep in mind that a wish construction is very similar to a contrary to fact or unreal

condition The formula:

Wish (that) + S + V_past tense This construction expresses regret and unreal conditions in the present For instance:

I wish I were famous

(In fact, I am not famous.) The following formula is used to express regret about a past situation

Wish (that) + S + V_past perfect For instance:

I wish they had arrived earlier

(But, they didn‟t arrive earlier.) The following should be noted:

 The word “that” can be added or omitted, the sentence is correct either way

and that is a stylistic option

 “Wished” can replace “wish” without changing the subjunctive

Example: I wished I hadn‟t spent too much money

(I did send too much money.)

 These verbs in “wish” sentences will be reported unchanged:

Example: “I wish I took his advice,” she said

 She said she wished she took his advice

I.3.3.6 The Past Subjunctive with “As If/As Though”

Sentences using as if and as though are similar to conditional sentences in that

they indicate something that is unreal or contrary to fact Like “wish” sentences, the verb following these conjunctions must be in the past or past perfect tense The past tense of the verb “be” must always be “were” and never be “was” in a contrary to fact sentence These sentences are expressed using the formula:

S + verb + as if/as though+ S + verb in past

Note that this construction is used to indicate unreality, improbability, or doubt in the present

Examples:

That boy acts as if he were stupid, but he really is smart

(The boy is not stupid.) Aaron drives as though he were a racecar driver

(Aaron is not a racecar driver.) The past perfect form is expressed through the formula:

S + verb + as if/as though+ S + verb in past perfect

The past perfect is used after as if/as though when the sentence refers to an

unreal or imaginary action in the past

Examples:

Barry told the story as if he had been there

(Barry was not there.) The prisoner looked as if he had won the case

(He had not won the case.) Note: The verb preceding “as if/as though” can be put into a past tense without changing the tense of the subjunctive, for example:

He talked as if he were my father

(In fact, he is not my father.)

I.3.3.7 The Past Subjunctive with “If Only” and “It is (High) Time”

If only can be used in the same way and with the same meaning as “wish”, but it

is more indirect As such, it is stronger and more unrealistic than “wish” It is used in conversation and in formal writing (1986, p.52) The formulas for these expressions are explained below:

 If only + V_simple past: If only followed by a verb in the past tense

expresses a regret or wish for something that is unreal in the present, for instance:

If only there were snow in summer

(But there is not snow in summer.)

If only he would take the exam

(In fact, he will not take the exam.)

 If only + V_past perfect: If only followed by a verb in the past perfect

expresses a regret, or a wish that something had happened differently in the past, for instance:

If only he had come to the party

(He did not come to the party)

If only I had taken his advice

(I did not take his advice)

 It‟s (high) time + S + V_simple past tense: expresses that something should

be done and that it is already a bit late

For example:

It's time you went to bed You'll have to get up early tomorrow

(You need to go to bed now, and you should have gone to bed earlier.) It's high time I bought a new pair of jeans

(I need to buy a new pairs of jeans, and I should have bought them earlier.)

There are a few notes on this section:

 The word “high” can be used or not used in these sentences “High” adds slightly more emphasis to the feeling that something should be started immediately and should have been started sooner (1986, p.182)

 When “it‟s (high) time” is followed by I/she/he/it, it cannot then be followed by “were”: (1986, p.182)

Example: It‟s time I was leaving

 Unreal tenses after wish, if only, would rather/would sooner, it's (high)

time and as if/as though do not change in indirect speech

For example:

Susan: I wish I lived in the mountains

 Susan said she wished she lived in the mountains

Charles: If only we hadn't missed the train

 Charles said that if only they hadn‟t missed the train

I.3.4 Patterns of the Subjunctive

Besides the single constructions above, the subjunctive mood also has compound forms which are made with auxiliaries and modals in unreal conditional sentences and

in the mandative subjunctive

I.3.4.1 Compound Forms

- The compound past subjunctive form is made with were (the past subjunctive

of be) followed by a verb's to-infinitive to express a supposition

- Another compound past subjunctive form is made with were followed by to

have done This construction often appears in conditional sentences and it is used

instead of the third type of conditional sentence

Examples: If she had driven carefully, she couldn‟t have caused the accident (This sentence equivalent to: “If she were to have driven carefully, she wouldn‟t have caused the accident.”)

These compound forms of the subjunctive can be inverted without If- This

makes the sentences more formal and makes the events less likely

Were they to escape, there would be an outcry

Were she to have driven carefully, she wouldn‟t have caused the accident

I.3.4.2 Should as Subjunctive

In British English, the indicative forms are almost always used In American English, however, subjunctive forms are still quite often used Since they are likely to

cause confusion, the modal should is used in British English to make another

compound form which may be regarded as a subjunctive, and in any case is frequently used as an alternative to the simple present subjunctive This construction is less formal than the present subjunctive and used more often in British English than in American English

For example:

It's important that he be cured

 It's important that he should be cured

Should can be inverted in the sentence:

Should the situation change, we will contact you

Inversion: We will contact you should the situation change

This means the same as: “If the situation changes, we will contact you”, except

that when using should, the speaker feels that the possibility is smaller The sentence

“If the situation changes, we will contact you” expresses that the speaker thinks it slightly more likely that the situation will change than the sentence “Should the situation change, we will contact you”

In conclusion, the constructions with the subjuctive mood are quite various and complicated This chapter covers all aspects of the subjunctive including it definitions, classification, types and uses Hopefully, students will have a fuller picture of the subjunctive mood