5.The category of Mood.

M= mood

There is no unity of opinion concerning the cat. Of M in E. Owing to the difference of approach to Ms (mutual relation between Mg and form) grammarians single out:

Смирницкий: 6 Ms in E: Indicat., Imperat., Subj. I, Subj. II ( conditional and suppositional).

Ильиш, Иванова, Жигадло: 3 Ms: Indic., Imper.,Subj. The latter, according to Ильиш, appears in 2 forms- the conditional and subjunctive.

Бархударов distinguish only 2 Ms- Indic. m and Subjunctive. The latter is subdivided into Subj. I and Subj. II. The Imperat. and the Conjunctive are treated as forms outside the cat. of M.

In general the number of Ms in diff. Theories varies from 2 to 17. In modern E there are 3 Ms: The Indicative M. (IM), The Imperative M (IMP.M), The Subjunctive M (SM)

IM is the basic M of the V. Morphologically it is the most developed system including all the cat-es of the V. It serves to present an action as a fact of reality. It conveys minimum personal attitude to the fact. The speaker’s attitude is neutral.(We went home.)

IM is also used to express a real condition (condition the realization of which is considered possible). (If it rains, I shall stay home.)

IMP.M in E is represented by one form only. Without any suffix or ending. It differs from other Ms in several important points:

1.it has no person, number, tense or aspect distinctions

2.it is limited in its use to one type of sentence only- imperative sent.

IMP.M expresses a command or a request.

Most usually a verb in the IMP.M has no pronoun acting as subject. However, the pronoun may be used in emotional speech, as in the following example: «But, Tessie”- he pleaded, going towards her. «You leave me alone!»- she cried out loudly.

These are essential peculiarities distinguishing the IMP.M and they have given rise to doubts as to whether the imperative can be numbered among the Ms at all. A serious difficulty connected with the IMP. Is the absence of any specific morphological characteristics: with all Vs including the V be, it also coincides with the infinitive, and in all Vs, except be, it also coincides with the Pres. Indic apart from the 3d person Sing. Even the absence of a subject pronoun you which would be its syntactical characteristic, is not reliable feature at all, as sentences You sit here! occur often enough.

Mg alone may not seem sufficient ground for establishing a grammatical category.

The SM. (also the Conditional M)

Probably the only thing linguists are unanimous about with the SM is that it represents an action as a non-fact, as something imaginary, desirable, problematic, contrary to reality. In all other respects opinions differ.

In modern E the SM has synthetic and analytical forms.

Synthetic(or simple forms)- are those the formal elements of which are to be found within 1 word from which they are inseparable. These are the present and the past Ind. Affirmative (sing, sings, sang); the non-perfect common aspect forms of the inf, partic.I, the gerund, part. II (sing, singing, sung); the IMP.M (sing!)

Analytical (or compound form) consists of at least 2 verbal elements- an auxiliary V and a notional V. the latter is presented be partic.I, II, or the infin. An auxiliary V is devoid of its lexical Mg, its role is purely structural. It may be finite or non-finite, thus showing whether the whole V form is finite or non-finite as in:

Means of expressing unreality:

Unreal actions are expressed by:

plain stem of the V for all persons (I insist that he be present)

were for all persons ( I wish I were 10 years younger)

the form of the Past Indef. (He looked as if he knew about it)

the form of the Past Perfect (He looked as if he had seen a ghost)

should for the 1st person Sing or Pl or would (for the other persons)+inf. (If I had a garden I should grow tulips there)

should \would +Perf. Inf (If it hadn’t rain I should have gone for a walk)

should( for all persons)+inf. (I insist that he should do it)

would (for all per.) +inf (I wish he wouldn`t interrupt me)

may\ might +inf. (I told u that so that you might write to ur parents)

can\ could +inf. (I told u that so that u could…)

were to (for all persons)+ inf. (If he were to discover the truth he would never speak to me)

An unreal action can be represented by these means as hypothetical (the realization is doubtful: (He insisted that the plan be discussed) and contradicting reality (the action can’t be realized) (I wish I can see the parade)

Other means: modal Vs (He must have gone)

Modal Ws (probably, perhaps)