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

HANOI PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY N02 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 i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to my supervisors, Ms. Emily Parenteau and Mr. Nguyen Van Den, M.A., for their patience in providing continuous and careful guidance as well as encouragement, indispensable suggestions and advice. Without their help and valuable comments on the content as well as the organization of the study, it would be far from accomplished. 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. ii 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. iii STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP Title: Common Errors in the Use of the Subjunctive Mood among the Third-Year English Major Students at Hanoi Pedagogical University No2 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 Student Supervisors Trieu Thi Phuong Ms. Emily Parenteau Mr. Nguyen Van Den, M.A. iv ABBRIVIATIONS FLF : Foreign Language Faculty HPU2 : Hanoi Pedagogical University Number p. : Page number ed. : Edition 2nd ed. : Second Edition 3rd ed. : Third Edition 4th ed. : Fourth Edition 8th ed. : Eight Edition v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i ABSTRACT iii STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP iv PART ONE: INTRODUCTION I. RATIONALE .1 II. RESEARCH PRESUPPOSITION III. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES IV. RESEARCH SCOPE . V. RESEARCH METHODS . VI. RESEARCH TASKS . VII. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE VIII. DESIGN OF THE RESEARCH .4 PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER ONE – THEORETICAL BACKGROUND I.1. Literature Review in Brief . I.2. Concept of Mood in English I.2.1. Definitions of Mood . 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 . 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 vi 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 vii 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 viii 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 subjunctive form of a verb is, in many cases, the same as a 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 (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 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? Correct answer: If she were in your position, she would be able to advise you. The main cause of these errors is that the students did not define the situation in the sentence so they failed to use the conditional sentences correctly. Had they realized the sentence expressed an unreal condition, they might have answered the question correctly. They also not seem to have a strong understand of conditional sentences and their rules although these structures are quite easy. II.2.12. Errors in the Use of the Past Subjunctive with “It’s (high) time” The percentage of errors concerning the use of the past subjunctive with the structure It’s (high) time is 16.5%. After analysis, many errors were found. Some students put the verb in its infinitive form. Example: It is time he…… a better job. A. finds B. found C. find D. had find The students incorrectly answered C, but the correct answer was B. Some students put the verb into the infinitive form. Example: It‟s high time he… (stop) smoking. The students incorrectly answered: It‟s high time he to stop smoking Others put s to the verb It‟s high time he stops smoking Correct answer: It‟s high time he stopped smoking These errors might be caused by the students‟ limited knowledge of this structure or possibly they did not read the sentence carefully. Most of them are accustomed to the structure It’s (high) time for sb to smt without realizing the structure used in the sentence is It’s (high) time sb did smt. Therefore, if they did not read the sentence carefully, it would have been easy for them to make mistakes in the sentence. 31 II.3. Suggested Solutions and Exercises II.3.1. Suggested Solutions This solution to this problem is complicated. However, after analyzing the subjects‟ errors, some possible solutions are suggested in the hope of minimizing students‟ errors in relation to the subjunctive mood. In fact, the process of teaching is complex. It requires that a teacher of foreign language has not only a strong understanding of the topic, but also enough patience to explain it repeatedly. When introducing the subjunctive, teachers should explain that although the structure is rare, it is vital to master if students plan to take English language certification exams. Teachers are expected to help students be aware of the subjunctive and everything related to it through explicit teaching. Explicit teaching is especially important for the subjunctive because this structure does not exist in the Vietnamese language. Teachers should introduce all aspects, rules, and structures of the subjunctive to students including its definition, form, types, and uses. Everything must be explained explicitly because the structures with the subjunctive are quite varied and complex. In addition, teachers should give some basic exercises to students to master the subjunctive in class as soon as the lesson finished. Moreover, it is essential that teachers have effective teaching strategies, for instance, teachers should explain all aspects of the subjunctive both in English and Vietnamese to students for avoiding misunderstanding or provide students with various types of exercises of the subjunctive. For students, the first and most important thing is that they should pay attention to the lectures. After the lecture, they must understand the structures, rules, and basic uses of the subjunctive. If they are confused or not know the theories of the subjunctive, they will not be able to the required exercises. In addition, it is necessary for students to exercises relating to the subjunctive as much as possible. Practice makes perfect. Students can extra exercises in some comprehensive grammar books and English websites as well as exercises given by the teachers. Another important thing is that students should read more about the subjunctive in grammar books such as books by Eastwood (1994) Oxford Guide to English Grammar, Vince (1994) Advanced Language Practice and many of the others listed in the references of this thesis to have a fuller picture of the subjunctive. Besides, 32 students can study in groups or practice on their own through online sources like Oxford English UK Viet Nam or Grammar Monster. These websites provide students with various types of exercises to master the subjunctive as well as many other English grammatical categories. Furthermore, some students possibly make errors when they understand the sentences in Vietnamese meanings and then apply them to English constructions. However, not all English constructions are equivalent to Vietnamese ones. Therefore, it is useful for students to translate English subjunctive sentences in Vietnamese since Vietnamese does not naturally have the subjunctive. This will help students aware the different between two languages so they can avoid using English constructions incorrectly. Finally, before doing exercises, students should read the instructions and analyze the sentence carefully. All in all, there are quite a large number of students making the error types examined above. The problem is that the way students study the subjunctive mood is not suitable, or they are not interested enough to practice these type of exercises. To make things easier, some suggested solutions for both teachers and students have been made. Hopefully, students in general and the students at HPU2 in particular can use these suggestions to minimize errors in the use of the subjunctive mood. II.3.2. Suggested Exercises There are a variety of exercises on the subjunctive in grammar and test books. Teachers could make use of them to consolidate what students have learnt. Moreover, they should design particular exercise types to minimize students‟ errors in the use of the subjunctive. Here are some suggested exercise types: - Exercise 1: Choose the best answer to complete each sentence. - Exercise 2: Fill in the correct form of the verbs in bracket. - Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences without changing their meaning, using the words given. - Exercise 4: Correct mistakes in each of these sentences. As for the first exercise type, many choices for the answer are given. This may make students confused if students not have firm knowledge of the subjunctive. Therefore, through this exercise type, students can strengthen their understanding of the subjunctive. 33 The second type aims at checking students understanding of the subjunctive and whether they recognize the structures of the subjunctive or not. The next type is designed to check students‟ ability to understand the meaning of the sentences and then rewrite them without changing their meaning. It helps students to master the different structures of the subjunctive. The last type requires students to define errors concerning the subjunctive mood. It helps students review uses and structures of the subjunctive. In conclusion, by doing these exercise types, students can master the subjunctive mood and minimize errors in the use of this grammatical category. 34 PART THREE – CONCLUSION III.1. Summary of the Research It cannot be denied that grammar plays an important role in language systems. However, it is complex and often causes embarrassment to students of English, even to advanced learners. The subjunctive mood is quite a difficult category that causes many difficulties for learners. Taking this point into consideration, the thesis gives an understandable and overall picture of the subjunctive. Everything relating to the subjunctive such as definition, forms, types, and uses has been introduced and clarified. Hopefully, students will have a fuller look at this grammar category. When learning a language, making mistakes in grammar is unavoidable. Thus, the survey was conducted with the aim of testing the students‟ understanding of the subjunctive, finding their common errors in the use of the subjunctive and then suggesting some possible solutions for minimizing these errors. The outcome of the survey proves that the third-year English major students at HPU2 often make errors in the use of the subjunctive. The analysis has shown that most students cannot grasp all types of the subjunctive mood. The highest percentage of errors are in the form of the verb “to be” in the mandative subjunctive, which account for 74.8%. The second most common are the errors in using the subjunctive in reported speech with 71%. The errors in the use of the subjunctive with the construction It is (high) time are the fewest, only 16.5%. From the results of the survey, it has been proved that the major cause of the errors is students‟ limited understanding of the subjunctive. Some suggested solutions also have been made. However, to minimize errors in the subjunctive as well as other grammatical categories in English is not easy and simple. It is required that both teachers and students make great effort in mastering grammar. It is hoped that the study has made certain contribution to the English teaching and learning English in Vietnam in general and at HPU2 in particular. 35 III.2. Limitations and Suggestions for Further Study III.2.1. Limitations Although the research was conducted with considerable effort and attempt, there are of course some limitations. Firstly, due to the restricted time and framework of the graduation paper, the study only focused on the common errors in the use of the subjunctive mood made by the third-year major students at HPU2. Next, the results of the survey are relative because the population joining the survey was not very large. In addition, not all of the questions in the survey questionnaire were answered. Thus, the data collected is not fully exact. The researcher also wants to acknowledge that this is first academic research paper of this area. Therefore, she would be very happy to welcome all possible comments from readers about her work. III.2.2. Suggestions for Further Study The study will be much better if the researcher removes the limitations mentioned above. Thus, the researcher would like to offer some suggestions for those who are interested in the subjunctive mood and intend to conduct research on this topic, especially students of the FLF at HPU2. One should conduct the survey among a larger number of participants to make the findings more exact. In addition, the researcher or the teacher should ensure that every student attempts to answer every question on the survey. 36 REFERENCES Algeo, J. (2006). Cambridge English: A handbook of Word and Grammar Patterns. New York: Cambridge University Press. Alexander, L. G. (1990). Longman English Grammar Practice for Intermediate Students. Longman. Azar, B. S. (1989). Understanding and Using English Grammar (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall Regents. Azar, B. S. (2002). Understanding and Using English Grammar (3rd ed). Longman Azar, B. S. (2003). Fundamentals of English Grammar (3rd ed.). United State: Longman. Baugh, L. (1987). Essentials of English Grammar: A practical Guide to the Mastery of English. McGraw-Hill Companies. Biber, D., Conrad, S. & Leech, G. (2002). Longman Student Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Longman. Crystal, D. (2004). Making sense of grammar: In word and deed. Longman. Eastwood, J. (1994). Oxford Guide to English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Glencoe (2000). Grammar and Composition Handbook, High School 2. America: McGraw-Hill. GMAT Club, (2011). Ultimate GMAT Grammar. GMAT Club Murphy, R. (2012). English Grammar in Use (4th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Quirk, R. & Greenbaum, S. (1973). A University Grammar of English. Hà Nội: Nhà Xuất Bản Văn Hóa Thông Tin. Richard, H. (2002). An Introduction to Old English. Edinburgh University Press. Swan, M. (1984). Basic English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press Thomson, A. J. & Martinet, A. V. (1986). A Practical English Grammar (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Vince, M. (2003). Advanced Language Practice. Macmillan Vince, M. (2008). English Grammar in Context Advanced. Thailand: Macmillan 37 Đoàn Minh and Nguyễn Thị Tuyết (2001). English Grammar for Advanced Students. Hà Nội: Nhà xuất Hà Nội Hà Văn Bửu (1993). Văn Phạm Anh Văn Miêu Tả: A descriptive English Grammar. TP. Hồ Chí Minh: Nhà xuất TP. Hồ Chí Minh Phúc Trần (2012). Grammar, Identity, and the Dark Side of the Subjunctive, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeSVMG4GkeQ#t=77 Oxford English UK Vietnam, from http://oxford.edu.vn/ The History of English – English as A Global http://www.thehistoryofenglish.com/issues_global.html 38 Language, from APPENDIX SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE Please the exercises below Exercise 1: Choose the best answer 1. Tom acts as if he……….a boss A. were B. was C. is D. be 2. If I…………. I loved you, what would you do? A. was to say B. were to say C. say D. had said 3. It was urgent that she……… the robbery to the police immediately A. reported B. reports C. must report D. report C. find D. had found 4. It is time he……….a better job. A. finds B. found 5. I demand that he………….immediately. A. apologize B. apologizes C. will apologize D. has apologized 6. He decided to go inside the haunted house,………what may. A. would come B. comes C. should come D. come 7. “Did you ẹnjoy the picnic?” “It was ok but I‟d rather……….to a movie” A. have gone B. be going C. go D. went 8. It is necessary for everything………ready by two o'clock tomorrow. A. be B. was C. to be D. is 9. My proposal is that his resignation………… accepted. A. is B. was C. will be D. be C. would know D. knew C. don‟t be D. be 10. If only I……….how to find her now! A. know B. had known 11. The teacher asks that we……late A. aren‟t be B. not be 12. I‟d rather you………next to Susan, please. A. sit B. sat C. to sit D. sits 13. Evelyn Pumita moved that the meeting……… A. was adjourned B. be adjourned C. is adjourned 39 D. adjourned 14. My suggestion is that she………her lawyer before signing the contract. A. consults B. will consult C. should consult D. consulted C. has hit D. hits 15. I feel as if an express train……….me A. had hit B. hit 16. Their trip to China was very interesting. I wish I…….there with them. A. could have gone B. might go C. went D. could go 17. He orders me about as though I………… his wife A. am B. was C. were D. be 18. Green activists urged that the nuclear plant…… shut down A. is B. was C. were D. be 19. Our picnic was a lot of fun. I wish the weather……… warmer, though. A. was B. were C. had been D. would have been 20. We wished that we ………New York's rugby team. A. beat B. would have beaten C. had beaten D. would beat Exercise 2: Fill in the correct form of the verb 21 The doctor insisted that she…………(stay) at the hospital. 22. Far……….(be) it from me to criticize your plan, but I think you should change a few things in it. 23. It's high time he………… (stop) smoking 24. If it………(not work) for an accounting firm, I would be working in a bank. 25. He recommended that these questions………….(be) discussed at the next meeting. 26. When I stopped talking, Sam finished my sentence for me as though she………………(read) my mind. 27. The Director asked that he…………….(not be) allowed to advertise for more staff. 28. God……….(save) the Queen. 29. This is a private matter. I would rather you……………… (do not) tell anybody else. 30. May his grandfather………… (live) a long life. 31. Helen is bossy. She acts as if she………………. (own) the place 40 32. I am really sleepy today. I wish I………………… (have not to take) Bob to the airport late last night. 33. The government demanded that the ambassador………………… (be) recalled 34. Heaven…………… (forbid) that 35. I insist that he……………… (not leave) now. Exercise 3: Rewrite the following sentences without changing their meaning (using the words given) 36. You didn‟t see a ghost. - What‟s the matter? You look as if 37. What a pity! Your mother is not alive now. - If only 38. She is not in your position. She is not able to advise you. - If 39. “We wish we didn‟t have to take the exams,” said the children. - The children said 40. An accountant needs to master computer science. - It is necessary that KEY: Exercise 1: 1. A 2. B 3. D 4. B 5. A 6. D 7. C 8. C 9. D 10. D 11. B 12. B 13. B 14. C 15. A 16. A 17. C 18. D 19. D 20. D Exercise 2: 21. (should) stay 29. did not 22. be 30. live 23. stopped 31. owned 25. be 32. hadn‟t had to take 24. weren‟t working 33. be 26. had read 34. forbid 27. not be 35. not leave 28. save 41 Exercise 3: 36. What‟s the matter? You look as if you had seen a ghost 37. If only your mother were alive 38. If she were in your position, she would be able to advise you 39. The children said that they wished they didn‟t have to take the exam 40. It is necessary that an accountant master computer science. 42 SUGGESTED EXERCISES Exercise 1: Choose the best answer a, b, c or d to complete each sentence 1. The UN requested that the government _______ its policy. a. amends b. amend c. will amend d. amended 2. If only he _______ more skillful, he would make a good football player. a. was b. is c. were d. be 3. If the tickets ________ cheaper, we would have gone to the concert. a. had been b. were c. are d. have been 4. The chairman moved that the meeting _______ moved to Wednesday. a. was b. is c. be d. were c. were d. had been 5. I wish it _______ warmer. a. was b. is 6. The boss insisted that the salesforce _______ its results. a. will improve b. improved c. improves d. improve 7. If Peter _______ better behaved, he would not be in so much trouble at school. a. was b. were c. is d. had been 8. The commission recommended that the minister _______. a. will resign b. resigns c. resign d. resigning 9. If the new striker _______ a better goal-scorer, we might win more matches. a. has been b. was c. were d. is b. bless c. blessed d. blessing 10. God……you! a. blesses 11. If someone……into the store, smile and say, “May I help you?” a. come b. came c. could come d. comes 12. Gloria never seems tired. I sure wish I… her energy. a. have b. would have c. have had d. had 13. I was very engrossed in that presentation on Australia. The videotapes were so realistic that it was as though we…… there, driving through the outback. a. were b. have been c. are d. had been 14. They treat their dog as if it…… a child. a. is b. was c. were 43 d. had been 15. They recommend that she …….to a ski resort in Spain. a. will go b. would have gone c. should go d. should have gone 16. Far……. it from me to criticize your plan, but I think you should change a few things in it. a. be b. is c. was d. were 17. The doctor insisted that she …….at the hospital. a. stay b. stays c. will stay d. has stayed 18. She described that place as if she…….it before. a. visited b. has visited c. had visited d. is visiting c. living d. lived c. aren‟t be d. be 19. Long… the King! a. live b. lives 20. The teacher asks that we……late a. don‟t be c. not be KEY: 1. b 2. c 3. a 4. c 5. c 6. d 7. b 8. c 9. c 10. b 11. b 12. d 13. d 14. c 15. c 16. a 17. a 18. c 19. a 20. c Exercise 2: Fill in the correct form of the verbs in brackets 1. I‟d rather you………(not/watch) television when I‟m reading. 2. It‟s high time you……….(start) working seriously. 3. I wish I………(spend) more time swimming last summer. 4. He acts as if he………(be) in charge. 5. I wish you……… (not/keep) coming late to class. 6. Suppose a complete stranger……(leave) you a lot of money in their will! 7. I wish I………(go) to your party after all. 8. I‟d rather you…… (not) smoke in here. 9. The school Principal suggested that he…… (be) awarded a scholarship. 10. You are lucky going to Italy. I wish………(go) with you. 44 KEY: 1. didn‟t watch 6. left 2. started 7. had gone 3. had spent 8. did not 4. were 9. be 5. did/would not keep 10. could go/were going Exercise 3: Rewrite the sentences using the words given without changing their meaning. 1. I didn‟t have the money so I didn‟t buy a new suit. - If 2. The sun isn‟t shinning now -I wish 3. What a pity! I didn‟t come to the party last night -If only 4. I wanted you to go with us to the concert last night - I wish 5. He is advised to finish all his work before lunch It is advisable that he 6. I am sick, so I can‟t go to class. - If 7. She is not the boss - She talks as if 8. My teacher wants Tom to help me finish my homework. - My teacher would rather Tom 9. Your room is terribly untidy. - It is time you 10. Employees need to have a high technical level. - It is essential that employees KEY: 1. If I had had the money, I could have bought a new suit. 2. I wish the sun were shinning now. 3. If only I had come to the party last night. 45 4. I wish you had gone with us to the concert last night. 5. It is advisable that he finish all his work before lunch. 6. If I weren‟t sick, I could go to class. 7. She talks as if she were the boss. 8. My teacher would rather Tom helped me finish my homework. 9. It is time you clean and tidy up your room. 10. It is essential that employees have a high technical level. Exercise 4: Correct the error(s) in each sentence 1. I wish I bought that old house. 2. I‟d rather you don‟t eat all the bread. 3. It‟s time you go. 4. I wish I own a motorbike. 5. Come what comes, I‟ll be on your side. 6. If I am you, I won‟t as he said. 7. If only I went to bed early last night. 8. If you hadn‟t reminded me, I might forget 9. They demanded that he leaves at once 10. I‟d rather he to come back early KEY: 1. bought  had bought 6. am/won‟t  were/wouldn‟t 2. don‟t  didn‟t 7. went  had gone 3. go  went 8. might forget  might have forgotten 4. own  owned 9. leaves  leave 5. comes  come 10. to come  came 46 [...]... for the third verb "to be" Errors in using the past Errors in the verbs' form for the third person singular past mandative subjunctive in the person in the in the Errors in making negative form of thein mandative singular mandative subjunctive subjunctive Errors in using the past subjunctive with "If only" subjunctive the Errors in using the past subjunctive in "wish" sentences mandative the past subjunctive. .. 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. .. singular in the mandative subjunctive - Errors in the form of the verb when using the formulaic subjunctive - Errors in the form of the verb “to be” in the past subjunctive - Errors in using the past subjunctive with “would rather/sooner” - Errors in using the past subjunctive with “as if/though” - Errors in using the past subjunctive in conditional sentences - Errors in using the past subjunctive in “wish”... Percentage of Errors in the Use of the Subjunctive Mood % 80 74.8 71 70 61.2 60 53 51.4 50.6 50 41 38.75 40 37 32 30 19.5 16.5 20 10 0 Errors in the formthethe verb "to in thethe mandative subjunctive Errors in of Errors be" in Errors in the Errors in using the subjunctive in reported speech form verbs' form in the fomulaic subjunctive of the of the verbs' form form Errors in the verb "to be" subjunctive. .. 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. .. made a lot of errors in using the subjunctive It is clear from the chart that the most common errors are in selecting the form of the verb “to be” in the mandative subjunctive and the least common ones in sentences using the construction “It‟s (high) time” II.2 COMMON ERRORS AND POSSIBLE CAUSES II.2.1 Errors in the Form of the Verb “to be” in the Mandative Subjunctive The survey shows that the highest... (374/500) - Errors in the form of the verb when using the third person singular in the mandative subjunctive (51.4%) (257/500) - Errors in the form of the verb when using the formulaic subjunctive (61.2%) (306/500) - Errors in the form of the verb “to be” in the past subjunctive (37%) (111/300) - Errors in using the past subjunctive with “would rather/sooner” (32%) (64/200) - Errors in using the past subjunctive. .. past subjunctive Errors in the form of the verb "to be" in subjunctive Errors in using the past subjunctive with "would rather/would sooner Types of errors Errors in using the past subjunctive in conditional sentences Errors in using the past subjunctive with "It's (high) time" The chart shows the percentage of types of the errors in the use of the subjunctive mood the subjects most commonly made As... 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. .. seen from the chart, the errors concerning the form of the verb “to be” in the mandative subjunctive rank first, at 74.8% Coming in second and third are errors in using the subjunctive in reported speech and errors in the verbs‟ form in the formulaic subjunctive; at 71% and 25 61.2% respectively Errors related to the construction “as if/as though” come next, making up 50.6% Errors in the form of the verb . 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. 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. 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