English Moods: What They Are and How To Use Them

Do you know what English moods are? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on English moods, including the definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What is an English mood?

According to Grammar Monster, there are three main verb moods: the indicative mood, the imperative mood, and the subjunctive mood. The indicative mood states fact, gives an assertion or asks questions. The imperative mood gives orders and expresses command. The subjunctive mood shows wishes, wants, a suggestion, a demand, or condition contrary to fact. There is also the interrogative mood, which asks questions. There are also many types of sentence that can use these different moods in English grammar such as a declarative sentence. All of these moods can be used to express a different grammatical aspect based on the mood and inflection of the verb, such as encouragement, prohibition, denial, and more. 

Moods are different from verb tenses such as the below:

  •   Future Tense Form:
    •  Future Perfect Tense
    •  Simple Future Tense
    •  Future Continuous Tense
    •  Future Perfect Continuous Tense
  • Present Tense Form:
    •  Simple Present Tense
    •  Present Perfect Tense
    •  Present Continuous Tense
    •  Present Perfect Continuous Tense
  •   Other Forms:
    •  Infinitive Form/Infinitive Endings
    •  Past Participle Form
    •  Present Participle Form
    •  Subjunctive Mood
    •  Imperative Mood
    •  Finite Forms
    •  Perfective Verbs
    •  Imperfective Verbs
    •  Weak Verbs
    •  Strong Verbs
  • Past Tense Form:
    •  Past Perfect Tense
    •  Simple Past Tense
    •  Past Continuous Tense
    •  Past Perfect Continuous Tense

These tenses can be used for different people in a singular or plural way, such as the first person plural, and more. The base form of the verb is called the English infinitive.

What are English mood examples?

An English mood can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! The following examples of English moods from Grammar Monster and Your Dictionary can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. Try to use the term English moods today or notice when someone else is using an English mood.

  •  Dr. Chandy suggested that Jerry run three times a week.
  •  After we go for a run, I would like some tea.
  •  Where does he work?
  •  I demand he apologise.
  •  When I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees. (President Abraham Lincoln)
  •  Knowing his history of bad behavior, she should have said no.
  •  If I were in your position, I’d never leave.
  •  Did you read the comments section on those Facebook and Instagram posts?
  •  Have you completed the instructions on your English studies paper?
  •  Don’t give up on your dreams. Keep sleeping.
  •  Faby gave lots of love to the twins in Hindi.
  •  If he wasn’t so late, then we would have had time for an afternoon snack.
  •  He wishes it were him.
  •  I suggest a chip be put in future robots’ brains to shut them off if they have murderous thoughts. (Physicist Michio Kaku)
  •  Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better. (Entrepreneur Jim Rohn)
  •  She demanded Sean work the night shift.
  •  A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere. (Comedian Groucho Marx)
  •  Charlie read that book in less than a day.
  •  When you arrive at the airport, walk to Gate 52.
  •  At five o’clock, peel the potatoes for dinner.
  •  Did you bake a pie for Thanksgiving?
  •  He is the governor from Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas.
  •  At every one of his birthdays he asked for ostriches.
  •  When is your mother-in-law leaving?
  •  Are you coming to the mall?
  •  The teacher requires all students be present for Thursday’s event.
  •  Their new puppy walks quickly.
  •  Jane wishes her sons were faster at getting ready in the morning.
  •  If I were you, I’d leave.
  •  He enjoyed his dinner.
  •  Marie laughs whenever she sees him.
  •  She travels to Ireland frequently.
  •  Move that book.
  •  The cat sat on the mat.
  •  When you get home from school, walk the dog.
  •  Where have the students gone?
  •  Make sure Irene calls the store tomorrow.
  •  I suggest he be told.
  •  We would live in Ireland if we secured the proper documents.
  •  If I lived in Ireland, then I would write a book.
  •  Is the cat on the mat?
  •  Please leave the building calmly.
  •  The demand that I make of my reader is that he devote his whole life to reading my works. (Irish novelist James Joyce)
  •  Get out!

What are other literary techniques and devices?

There are many different literary and grammatical techniques and devices that you might see when you are reading prose or poetry. It is important to recognize these terms because they are always used for some purpose. Knowing these devices can help readers understand the author’s deeper meaning and why they are using such a device. Take a look at the below list of grammatical devices from OED and see how many you know! Then try researching ones that are unfamiliar to you. 

  • progressive
  •  reflexive
  •  mood
  •  demonstrative
  •  periphrasis | periphrastic
  •  suffix
  •  intransitive
  •  agree | agreement
  •  to-infinitive
  •  combination
  •   prepositional object
  •  adverb (adv.)
  •  appositive
  •  predicative
  •  perfect
  •  locative
  •  indirect question
  •  construction
  •  mood
  •  relative
  •  subjective
  •  nominative
  •  finite
  •  sentence adverb |sentence adverbial
  •  pleonasm | pleonastic
  •  conditional
  •  declarative
  •  active
  •  premodify | premodifier
  •  first person
  •  verb (v.)
  •  collocation | collocate
  •  parenthetical | parenthetically
  •  comparative
  •  object | direct object | indirect object
  •  collective noun
  •  apposition
  •  anaphoric
  •  subjunctive
  •  past participle
  •  subordinate clause
  •  verbal noun
  •  agent noun
  •  phrase (phr.)
  •  accusative
  •  prepositional phrase
  •  prepositional passive
  •  stem
  •  cataphoric
  •  genitive
  •  masculine
  •  possessive adjective
  •  indirect passive
  •  superlative
  •  passive
  •  attributive
  •  indefinite
  •  tense
  •  direct question
  •  base form
  •  inflection | inflected | inflectional
  •  participle | past participle | present participle
  •  vocative
  •  noun phrase
  •  passive infinitive
  •  quasi-
  •  non-referential
  •  objective
  •  postmodify | postmodifier
  •  infinitive
  •  special use
  •  unmarked genitive
  •  non-finite
  •  antecedent
  •  apodosis and protasis
  •  indirect speech
  •  combining form (comb. form)
  •  main clause
  •  transitive
  •  definite article
  •  common noun
  •  head
  •  absolute (absol.)
  •  modify | modifier
  •  double object
  •  person
  •  modal verb | modal auxiliary verb | modal auxiliary
  •  second person
  •  article
  •  anticipatory
  •  determiner
  •  direct object
  •  nominal relative | nominal relative clause
  •  imperative (imper.)
  •  impersonal (impers.)
  •  participial adjective
  •  direct speech
  •  clause
  •  that-clause
  •  simple
  •  compound | compounding
  •  pro-form
  •  parasynthetic
  •  intensifier
  •  present participle
  •  conjunction (conj.)
  •  dative
  •  ellipsis | elliptical
  •  indicative
  •  adjective
  •  concrete
  •  feminine
  •  complementary
  •  mass noun
  •  possessive pronouns | proper name
  •  neuter
  •  construed (const., constr.)
  •  phrasal verb
  •  interrogative
  •  personal pronoun
  •  filler
  •  optative
  •  pronoun (pron.)
  •  instrumental
  •  prefix
  •  positive
  •  causative
  •  gender
  •  adverbial | adverbially
  •  copular verb | copula
  •  possessive
  •  part of speech
  •  subject
  •  morpheme
  •  main verb
  •  plural
  •  noun (n.)
  •  count noun
  •  past tense
  •  protasis
  •  preposition (prep.)
  •  dual
  •  present tense
  •  similative
  •  zero
  •  indirect object
  •  interjection
  •  singular
  •  auxiliary verb | auxiliary
  •  complement
  •  element
  •  bare infinitive
  •  abstract
  •  cognate object
  •  number
  •  possessive pronoun
  •  third-person

Overall, the term English moods refer to the imperative, indicative and subjunctive.

Sources:

  1. Glossary of Grammatical Terms | OED
  2. Mood | What is Mood in Grammar? | Grammar Monster 
  3. What Is Mood in Grammar? Understanding Verb Moods | Your DictionaryÂ