In MnE there are 11 models of Oblique moods They can be classified into 4 classes:

1. Should/ would according to persons; ‘d – for all persons.

2. Would for all persons. (e.g. I wish you would do it).The isolation of this system of forms does not take place because in the entire system of the English verb there is a tendency the unification of the auxiliary verb. Here we have specialization in meaning – The form expresses a desirable action in future in relation to another action.

3. Should for all persons. (E.g. It’s cruel I should make him suffer so! + may/might, can/could)

4. Synthetic forms Be, did, were for all persons.

The problem of the number of moods in E. is the most controversial problem. There is one point clear: there are at least 2 moods in E, one of them being the Indicative mood. A lot of opinions are as to the number of the oblique Moods.

1)The polar points of view are those by M. Deutschbein (who found 16 moods in E.). Foreign linguists didn’t clearly distinguish between Subjunctive mood as a system of the forms of the verb and other lexical means of expressing modality.

2) H. Sweet singled out the Conditional mood (should/would see), Permissive mood (may/might see), the Compulsive mood (was/were to see), the Tense mood (=cases of homonymy with the Indicative mood). The last one (unlike the previous ones) was singled out not in accordance with meaning.

3) G. Curme singles out 2 (two) subtypes in the Subjunctive mood – a) Optative Subjunctive (synthetic forms: I knew, I were +& combinations with modal verbs). ) and b) Potential Subjunctive (may come, & other combinations with modal verbs).

4) L.S Barkhudarov (who held that there are no oblique Moods at all in E. on the assumption that the mood auxiliaries should, would still preserve their modal meanings of obligation and volition and may be used in free word combinations like any full-fledged verbs. As for If I knew and If I had known Barkhudarov considers: they are the Past Ind. and the Past Perf. in special contextual environment. – C. 130).

5) Smirnitsky distinguished (4) four Oblique moods in English: the Subjunctive I, the Subjunctive II, the Suppositional Mood, the Conditional Mood.

Presumably (предположительно, по-видимому), according to A. Smirnitsky, In MnE there are the Indicative mood, the Imperative mood, and 4 Oblique moods: the Subjunctive I, the Subjunctive II, the Suppositional Mood, the Conditional Mood.

6) Khlebnikova I.B. finds five Oblique moods: Conditional Mood (=I should/ He would go), the Subjunctive Mood (were, wrote, which includes all the synthetic mood forms), the Oblique moods which do not constitute one system (e.g. however it might be, for fear that it would cause trouble).

7) G.Vorontsova finds 3 Oblique moods: 1) Optative (Imperative, Desiderative, Subjunctive) 2) Speculative (Dubitative, Irrealis) 3) Presumptative.

Such controversy of views is due to absence of direct correspondence between the form and meaning of the oblique mood forms.

1. One and the same form renders different grammatical meanings of hypothetical action(Cf.

He should come may express

Necessity (необходимость):

It is necessary that he should come;

it is time he knew/had known

doubt: we feared lest he should come;

compulsion (заставительность): I order that he should come.

(желательность) Desirability: I wish he knew/ he had known it (long before);

(Гипотетичность для выражения сравнения) Hypotheticity to express сomparison:

He spoke as if he knew/ had known

Unreal condition: if he knew/had known.

I insist that you should go (Suppositional); If I knew about it I should go (Conditional); I should go there (modal phrase);

b)One and the same meaning may be rendered by different grammatical forms, e.g.:

Conditional action (Условное) can be expressed by forms: