Subjunctive Mood: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know what a subjunctive mood is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on subjunctive moods, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What is a subjunctive mood?

According to Walden, there are many different forms of verbs in the English language, all which have a first conjugation, second conjugation, and third conjugation depending on the subject. Some verbs are regular verbs and some are irregular verbs. 

  •   To-infinitive tense
  •   Gerund tense or gerund phrase 
  •   Past participle tense
  •   Present indicative tense
  •   Conditional tense
  •   Infinitive tense
  •   Conditional perfect tense
  •   Present perfect tense
  •   Present continuous tense
  •   Bare infinitive tense
  •   Subjunctive tense
  •   Present perfect progressive tense 
  •   Simple future tense
  •   Conditional progressive tense
  •   Simple past tense
  •   Present progressive tense
  •   Past perfect progressive tense
  •   Simple conditional tense
  •   Imperative tense
  •   Past perfect tense
  •   Future perfect tense
  •   Past progressive tense
  •   Future progressive tense
  •   Future perfect progressive tense
  •   Simple present tense
  •   Conditional perfect progressive tense
  •   Present perfect continuous tense
  •   Perfect passive tense
  •   Present participle tense
  •   Present perfect progressive/continuous tense
  •   Indicative tense
  •   Past progressive/continuous tense

Today we will explore the subjunctive mood. According to Grammar Monster, the subjunctive verb tense is used to explore a hypothetical, to express a wish, demand, or suggestion. The verbs to ask, to command, to demand, to insist, to order, to recommend, to suggest, and to wish all attract the subjunctive mood. The adjectives crucial, essential, important, imperative, and necessary attract the subjunctive mood. Mood is the form a verb takes to show how it is to be regarded. The three most common moods are the indicative mood, the imperative mood, and the subjunctive mood. Subjunctive forms can take different tenses in English grammar including the past subjunctive, the present subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive, and the future subjunctive. This can be used in the third person, first person, second person, and other conjugations. This can be used in subordinate clauses, dependent clauses, impersonal expressions, with irregular verbs, in the passive voice, with a helping verb, and more. 

The subjunctive, or el subjuntivo, is also used in Spanish. According to Enforex, this is used with expressions of doubt and the say it is used in English with different subjects and emotions like pedir que, para que, tener miedo de que, es si que, and more.

This article will examine the Many different languages also contain words that mean subjunctive mood. You may notice that some of these translations of subjunctive mood look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases in different languages that likely have the same root or language of origin, causing them to sound the same. The below list of translations of subjunctive mood is provided by Word Sense

  •  Scottish Gaelic: modh fo-leantach‎ (masc.)
  •  Irish: modh foshuiteach‎ (masc.)
  •  Albanian: mënyra lidhore‎ (fem.)
  •  Turkish: istek kipi‎, dilek kipi‎
  •  Breton: doare-sujañ‎ (masc.)
  •  Portuguese: modo conjuntivo‎ (masc.), conjuntivo‎ (masc.) (Portugal); modo subjuntivo‎ (masc.), subjuntivo‎ (masc.) (Brazil)
  •  Swedish: konjunktiv‎ (common)
  •  Finnish: konjunktiivi‎ (esp. applied for Latin and German), subjunktiivi‎ (esp. applied for English and descendants of Latin)
  •  Norman: subjonctif‎ (masc.)
  •  Greek: υποτακτική‎ (fem.)
  •  Icelandic: viðtengingarháttur‎ (masc.)
  •  Lithuanian: tariamoji nuosaka‎
  •  Latin: modus‎] conjunctivus‎, modus adjunctivus‎
  •  Persian: التزامی‎ (eltezâmi)
  •  Yiddish: קאָניונקטיוו‎ (masc.)
  •  Armenian: ըղձական եղանակ‎
  •  Polish: tryb łączący‎ (masc.)
  •  Mandarin: 虛擬語氣‎, 虚拟语气‎ (xūnǐ yǔqì)
  •  Arabic: مَنْصُوب‎ (masc.)
  •  Hungarian: kötőmód‎
  •  Czech: konjunktiv‎ (masc.), subjunktiv‎ (masc.)
  •  Italian: congiuntivo‎ (masc.)
  •  Korean: 가정법‎ (假定法‎)
  •  Macedonian: погодбен начин‎
  •  Serbo-Croatian: konjunktiv‎ (masc.), vezni način‎ (masc.)
  •  Interlingua: subjunctivo‎ (masc.)
  •  Japanese: 仮定法‎ (かていほう, katei-hō), 接続法‎ (せつぞくほう, setsuzokuhō)
  •  German: Konjunktiv‎ (masc.)
  •  French: subjonctif‎ (masc.), conjonctif‎ (masc.)
  •  Faroese: hugsháttur‎ (masc.)
  •  Norwegian: konjunktiv‎ (masc.)
  •  Dutch: aanvoegende wijs‎ (masc.), bijvoegende wijs‎ (masc.), conjunctief‎ (masc.), subjunctief‎ (masc.)
  •  Catalan: mode subjuntiu‎ (masc.), subjuntiu‎
  •  Vietnamese: lối cầu khẩn‎
  •  Spanish: modo subjuntivo‎ (masc.), subjuntivo‎ (masc.), conjuntivo‎ (masc.)
  •  Tagalog: panaganong pasakali‎
  •  Russian: сослага́тельное наклоне́ние‎ (neut.)

What are examples of subjunctive mood?

The subjunctive 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! Below are a couple of examples of subjunctive moods that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use.  Take a look at these subjunctive mood examples from and see how many you understand! 

  •  I propose that Pam be asked to prepare the cake.
  •  If Denis were here, he could have done it.
  •  I suggest that Jack come here to solve it.
  •  I propose that Steve be asked to complete the project.
  •  I suggest that Hanna sing the song.
  •  I suggest that America target its ads better.
  •  We suggest that the students study the base form of the verb before learning the perfect tense of the verb.
  •  I suggest that Robert attend the meeting.
  •  If I were in your place, I would not do it.
  •  Jeff doubts whether Alice would like it.
  •  If today were Friday, I could have attended the program.
  •  If Tom were here, he could have solved the issue.
  •  I propose that Suzan be asked to perform in the program.
  •  I propose that you be present at the meeting.
  •  Heaven forbid she would betray us.
  •  Anna doubts whether she could do it.
  •  I doubt whether Aric would come.
  •  I suggest that Merry come here.
  •  If I were in the program, I would sing the song.
  •  I propose that Harry be asked to attend the party.
  •  I suggest that Lisa write the article.
  •  Jim wishes that all his friends would come.
  •  If we were in New Zealand, we would meet you.

Overall, the subjunctive mood of a main verb or compound verb is used to  explore a hypothetical, to express a wish, demand, or suggestion. 

Sources:

  1. Glossary of grammatical terms | OED 
  2. Examples of The Subjunctive Mood | Learn Grammar 
  3. Verb Forms: “-ing,” Infinitives, and Past Participles – Grammar – Academic Guides | Walden University 
  4. subjunctive mood: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  5. Subjunctive Mood | What Is the Subjunctive Mood? | Grammar Monster 
  6. The Spanish Subjunctive | Enforex