Subjunctive Mood forms in English

All in all we can distinguish in English several set structures which generally contain subjunctive mood forms:

1. after the verb wish and phrases would / d’rather: I wish I were/was younger. I wish I hadn’t met him. I wish I were sleeping now. I’d rather you didn’t help me.

2. in complex conditional sentences: If I had his address I would write to him. If I had his address I would have written to him. If I had had his address last year I would have written him a lot of letters. If I had met him before I would be a married woman today. She wouldn’t have told me her story if she disliked me.

3. in clauses of problematic condition that are translated into Russian as «случись так, что …», «если случайно …», «если так случится, что …», « вдруг что-нибудь …»: Should he ask for references, tell him to apply to me. Should anything change, you will return home.

4. in subject clauses which are introduced by the formal subject ‘it’: It is necessary that you should come. It is funny that you should have forgotten. It is possible that they should have guessed it. ( It is likely, unlikely, strange, impossible, …)

5. In the constructions beginning with It is (high) time …. : It is time you went to bed. It is high time he were more serious.

6. after the verbs to suggest, order, command, demand, insist, recommend, advise, propose and the like: I suggest that you (should) go there immediately.

7. after the nouns which correspond to the verbs in point 6: His command was that the soldiers should stop marching. Her advice was that we should come.

8. in predicative clauses introduced by the conjunction as if / as though after the link verbs to be, to seem, to look, to feel, to taste, to smell, etc.: He looked as if he were ill. He looked as if he had been ill. The house looked as if it had been deserted for years. I felt as though I were talking to a child. He sounded as if he were not sure of what he was saying.

9. in adverbial clauses of comparison with the conjunction as if: His eyes wandered as if he were at a loss. He paid no attention to us as if we didn’t exist.

10. in some simple sentences: If only it were true! If only I had listened to my parents! How should I know? Why should you suspect me? Why accuse everybody? Why not go there at once? God bless you! God save the king! The devil take him! Long live the Army!

Note: Don’t mix up conditional sentences of unreal condition with sentence expressing real condition with indicative mood forms;

If she heard it she gave no sign.

If I have offended you, I am very sorry.

You may go away if it bothers you.

Now it was serious. If I had laughed about it before, I wasn’t laughing now.

If he was lying, he was a good actor.

The basic forms of the English verb: I, II, III, IV.

The infinitive – the past simple – the past participle – the present participle.

Non-finite verb-forms (verbals)

Though non-finite forms are derived from their verbal counterparts, they differ from the latter in the following ways:

• They don’t share all the categories with the verb;

• They don’t perform the syntactic function of the verb, that of the predicate;

• They usually perform the syntactic functions of other nominal parts of speech such as: nouns, adjectives or adverb.

The Infinitive

The infinitive has some verbal morphological characteristics and the syntactic characteristics of the noun.

As for the verbal characteristics it has the categories of aspect, correlation and voice.

Infinitive	Active	Passive
Simple / Indefinite Perfect Continuous Perfect continuous	To write To have written To be writing To have been writing	To be written To have been written --------- ---------

Examples:

I hope to see you soon. / It may rain tomorrow.

I am glad to have taken your advice. / -Why did she leave so early? She may have felt bad?

They happened, at the moment, to be standing under a big tree at the end of the garden. / She must be sleeping now, don’t phone her.

For about ten years we seemed to have been living on nothing but bread and water. / He must have been sleeping for ten hours by now. It’s time to wake him up.

It is so glorious to love and to be loved.

The report ought to have been submitted yesterday.

The examples make it clear that the idea of tense is represented by the opposition of

perfect – non-perfect forms and has a relative reference to the real time or to the grammatical category of tense. The non-perfect form shows that the action expressed by the infinitive is either simultaneous with or follows the action of the finite verb. The perfect infinitive forms denote an action which is prior to the action of the predicate.

The syntactic functions of the infinitive are illustrated in the following examples:

1. the subject: To live means to create.

2. the object: What do you mean to do with these things?

3. the predicative, the nominal part of the compound nominal predicate: To decide is to act.

4. part of the compound verbal predicate: You can do it without our help.

5. the attribute: It is the only thing to do (that can be done).

6. the adverbial modifier: I have come here to talk to you.(of purpose)

The infinitive is used in some predicative constructions.

Complex Object:

I saw a small boy run across the street.

I want him to do that right now.

I don’t like you to be late.

The doctor recommended the room to be aired.

I know him to be a very good doctor.

The for-to-Infinitive construction

She paused for him to continue. (adverbial modifier of purpose)

I’m so glad for you to have come. (object)

It was difficult for me to do anything else. (subject)

Spring was near and we waited for the river to open.(object)

To be together is for us to be in solitude and in company. (predicative)

The function of the complex object is that of an object, the functions of the for-to-infinitive are different: adverbial modifier of purpose, object, subject, predicative.

Complex Subject:

They were seen to leave the house early in the morning.

He was heard to repeat those words several times.

He was known to be a capable student.

He is said to be very ill.

She was not expected to reply, but she did.

They were allowed to take these books.

She seems to know the subject thoroughly. (It seemed to me that she knew the subject …)

They appeared to be satisfied with the results of the experiment. (It appeared to everybody that they were satisfied with the results… / everybody thought that …)

The Gerund has also some verbal characteristics which are those of voice and correlation and the syntactical functions of the noun.

Gerund	Active	Passive
Simple / Indefinite Perfect	Writing Having written	Being written Having been written

Examples:

He told me of his traveling abroad.

She is very fond of being read to.

I am surprised at his having done it.

After having been informed of the conference he decided to wait for it to begin.

The syntactical functions:

1. the subject: Deciding is acting.

2. the object: Avoid making mistakes. We insisted on calling the doctor.

3. the predicative, the nominal part of the compound nominal predicate: Deciding is acting.

4. part of the compound verbal phasal predicate: Stop talking! He kept on bothering me.

5. the attribute: There is little hope of reaching home before midnight.

6. the adverbial modifier: I could not speak for laughing.

The Gerund when extended by a noun in the possessive case or a possessive pronoun forms a gerundial predicative construction: I insist on Mary’s coming to our meeting. / I don’t like your being late. There is little hope of our reaching home before midnight.

The Participle ( I and II ) like the previous non-finite forms has the verbal characteristics of voice and correlation. But as for the syntactical functions, it has those of the adjective or adverb. The participle is intermediate between the verb and the adjective.

Participle	Active	Passive
Simple / Indefinite perfect	Writing Having written	(Being) written Having been written

As we can see the morphological characteristics of the participle coincide with those of the gerund.

Examples:

When reading The Pickwick Papers, one can’t help laughing.

Having heard a footstep below he rose and went to the top of the stairs.

Being left alone, Pauline and I kept silence for some time.

Having been informed about her illness, I did my best to avoid this topic.

The syntactical functions of the participle:

1. the attribute: We admired the stars twinkling in the sky. / He answered through the locked door.

2. The adverbial modifier: Turning slowly she went into her room.( of time) /As if torn with inner conflict she cried bitterly.(of comparison)

3. the predicative, part of the compound nominal predicate: The effect of her words was terrifying. / The inner gate was locked and the lodge closed.

4. Part of the compound verbal predicate: Presently other footsteps were heard crossing the room upstairs. (in the complex subject structure)

5. a participial phrase as parenthesis: Generally speaking, I don’t like coffee. / -------

Both the participles are used in some predicative constructions.

Complex Object ( both participles):

I saw that young man talking to you on the stairs.

I heard my wife coming.

I had my coat altered.

You can get your clothes made in Europe.