2. The Past Subjunctive

There is a past subjunctive in English, but it is only visible with the form were to express non-fact. It is used for unreality in hypothetical clauses of condition, after wish and in expressions that are really concealed conditions.If I were rich, I would give all my money to you. I wish it were Saturday. Suppose/ If he were to win the lottery. If only I were young again. If my father were alive, he would have been 71 this year.

3. Fixed (set) expressions

Subjunctives are also used in certain set expressions/ phrases. Long live to bride and groom! He’s a sort of adopted uncle, as it were. (=…in a way.)

Be that as it may… (= Whether that is true or not…)

If we have to pay $2,000, then so be it. (= We can’t do anything to change it.)

Woe be to him! Woe is me! Горе мені! Woe betide him! Чорт його забирай! Whatever betide —Щоб не сталося!

4. Grammatical category of state, its types

Semantic classification of the verbs may be composed from various standpoints. The broadest conceptual distinction needed is between situations that can be treated as stative and others that can be treated as dynamic. Grammatically important is the division of verbs into the following classes:

1. There are certain groups of verbs that are usually not used in the Continuous tenses. They are called State verbs. This is because their meanings are related to states or conditions which are facts and not activities. The verbs used with stative meaning apply to the situations that are relatively constant over time and describe cognitive (mental) states such as knowledge and emotions, or relations. The groups of verbs are: 1) verbs of thinking and opinions: think, believe, understand, agree, doubt, mean, imagine, realize, know, suppose, expect, remember, forget, deserve, prefer. I believe you. Do you understand? I forget where he went last time? 2) Verbs of emotions and feelings: love, like, feel, care, hope, wish, want, admit. I don’t care what the neighbours say, but I mind what Henry thinks. She likes coffee with milk. 3) Verbs of having and being: belong, own, have, possess, contain, hold, cost, seem, appear, need, depend on, weigh, come from, resemble. He appears to be worried. The house belongs to Tom’s aunt. The bottle holds 1 litre. 4) Verbs of the senses (involuntary sensations): feel, hear, look, smell, taste. This pudding smells/ tastes of lemon (inherent state). It didn’t feel like an ordinary parcel. (inherent)

2. Most verbs have the concept of change as an essential characteristic and apply to dynamic situations. Action (dynamic) verbs because they denote actions ask, go, play, study, park: They talked about specific concerns. Athletes run. Coaches draw diagrams. Players dream of victory. Dynamic situations can be divided into those viewed as having almost no duration (non-durative or punctual) versus those having duration (durative).

   • Non-durative (punctual) verbs typically describe isolated momentary acts (cough, kick, hit, smash): She kicked the ball. It hit the window. And it smashed the glass. Punctual aspect relates to the ‘point in time’ interpretation of expressions (fire a gun, push a door) which do not extend through time.

   • Durative verbs describe situations that typically extend through time. Durative aspect is essential feature of verbs that denote activities (run, eat) and processes (become, grow). We should run more and eat less. We’ll become more peaceful as we grow older.

Some English verbs may be state verbs in certain meanings and that is why are not used in progressive tenses, but in other situations they may mean some activity and require action verbs and therefore are used in progressive tenses. Compare:

State

Action

a) I think you are not right — Я думаю, що ви не праві. I consider him a liar — Я вважаю його брехуном. b) The meat tastes delicious — Це м'ясо чудово пахне. c) Now that lotuses are blossoming the river smells good — Тепер, коли цвітуть лотоси, біля річки приємно пахне. d) Do you see him over there? — Бачите його там? I see now what you mean — Теперь я розумію, що ви маєте на увазі. e) After antistatic treatment the dress feels soft — Після обробки антистатиком сукня тепер м’яка на дотик. The company feels that it is not good time to invest — Компания розуміє, що зараз не кращий час для інвестицій. f) It appears to me that you are mistaken — Мені здається, що ви помиляєтесь. g) You have a spot on your cheek — У тебе щось на щоці.

а) Verbs consider and think are used in the progressive tense in the meaning 'to be in a process of mental activity', but not 'to consider'. I'm thinking of you all the time — Я весь час думаю про тебе. When I was considering a trip to London I realized it was too expensive — Коли я міркував над тим, чи не здійснити мені подорож до Лондону, я зрозумів, що це занадто дорого. b) Verb taste - пробувати, куштувати, but not ‘мати смак'. I'm tasting the meat to see if it needs more salt — Я куштую м’ясо, щоб перевірити, чи не треба його досолити. c) Smell - 'нюхати', but not 'пахнути'. I'm smelling a flower — Я нюхаю квітку. d) See - 'зустрічатися', but not 'сприймати зором', 'розуміти'. I'm seeing John this afternoon — Я зустрічаюсь із Джоном вдень. e) Feel - 'сприймати на дотик' and 'почувати себе, почувати емоції', but not 'спричиняти відчуття' and 'вважати'. She was feeling in the dark for a pen — Вона в темноті намагалась нащупати ручку. Are you feeling better now? — Ти тепер почуваєш себе краще? f) Appear - 'з’являтися', but not 'здаватися'. The actor is appearing on the stage — Актор з’являється на сцені. g) Have – ‘діяльність’ (have a shower, have a good time, have lunch), but not 'володіти'. He is having breakfast at the moment — Він зараз снідає.

Practice # 3

MODAL VERBS AND THEIR PECULIARITIES