Subjunctive Mood

Steve Lin

Subjunctive Mood
if

1. Real Conditional
2.
3.
4.
5.

Present Unreal Conditional

Past Unreal conditional
Future Unreal Conditional
If should
Real Conditionals
if if oncewhenbefore
as soon asunless if
Present Real Conditional

1. if-
- If / When + S + Simple Present, S + Simple Present
- S + Simple Present + if + S + Simple Present

OR

Examples:
- If I go to a friends house for dinner, I usually take a bottle of wine or some
flowers.
- When I have a day off from work, I often go to the beach.
- If the weather is nice, she walks to work.
- Jerry helps me with my homework when he has time.
- I read if there is nothing on TV.
- What do you do when it rains?
I stay at home.
- Where do you stay if you go to Sydney?
I stay with my friends near
the harbor.
2. Note: whenif
Examples:
- When I have a day off from work, I usually go to the beach.
(I regularly have days off from work.)
- If I have a day off from work, I usually go to the beach.
(I rarely have days off from work.)
Past Real Conditional

1. if-
- If / When + S + Simple Past, S + Simple Past

OR
1

Subjunctive Mood

Steve Lin

- If / When + S + Simple Past, S + Simple Past

- S + Simple Past + if + S + Simple Past

OR

Examples:
- If I went to a friends house for dinner, I usually took a bottle of wine or some
flowers. I dont do that anymore.
- When I had a day off from work, I often went to the beach. Now, I never get
time off.
- If the weather was nice, she often walked to work. Now, she usually drives.
- Jerry always helped me with my homework when he had time. But he doesnt
do that anymore.
- I usually read if there was nothing on TV.
- What did you usually do when it rained?

I usually stayed at home.

Future Real Conditional

1. if-
-

If + S + Simple Present, S +

will

+ Verb

may
can
should
shall
must
ought to
Examples:
- If I go to my friends house for dinner tonight, I will take a bottle of wine or
some flowers. (I am still not sure if I will go to his house or not.)
- When I have a day off from work, I am going to go to the beach.
(I have to wait until I have a day off.)
- If the weather is nice, she is going to walk to work. (It depends on the weather.)
- Jerry will help me with my homework when he has time.
(I have to wait until he has time.)
- I am going to read if there is nothing on TV. (It depends on the TV schedule.)
- What are you going to do if it rains?
Im going to stay at home.
- If he is here, I will beat him.
- If anyone makes such a mistake, he must be punished.
- If he comes, you should (ought to) tell him the truth.
- Once I have money, I will buy a car.
2

Subjunctive Mood

Steve Lin

- As soon as he arrives, I will let you know.

- I will not do anything before he arrives.
-

I wont do it unless you help me.

2. Note if-
if-

canwill must
Examples:
- If he can come, I will be happy.
- If he must do it, he should do it with care.
= If he has to do it, he should do it with care.
Present Unreal Conditional

1. if-
If + S + Simple Past, S +

would
could

+ Verb

might
should
ought to
Examples:
- If I had a car, I would drive to work. But I dont have a car.
- She would travel around the world if she had more money. But she doesnt
have much money.
- I would read if I didnt have a TV.
- Mary would move to Japan if she spoke Japanese.
- If they worked harder, they would earn more money.
- What would you do if you won the lottery?
I would travel.
- Where would you live if you moved to the U.S.?
I would live in Seattle.
- If I were rich, I would help you. As I am not rich, I cant help you.
-

If he lived in my town, I could see him every day. Since he doesnt live here, I
cant see him every day.

2. if- be were
If I was
Examples:
- If you were in my shoes, what would you do?
- If I were you, I wouldnt do it.
-

If he were French, he would live in Paris.

I would play basketball if I were taller.

I would buy that house if it were cheaper.

If she were rich, she would buy a yacht.
3

Subjunctive Mood

Steve Lin

3. will / wouldmay / mightcan / couldshall /

should ought tomust

Example:
- If you did it for me, I would be very happy.
- If I could fly, I would fly to you.
- If you had money, you
should
help the poor.
ought to
* If you have money, you

must

help the poor.

should
ought to
Past Unreal Conditional

1. if- + have +
If + S + had + p.p. (past participle), S +

would
could
might

+ have + p.p.

should
ought to
Examples:
- If I had had a car, I would have driven to work. But I didnt have one, so I took the bus.
- She would have traveled around the world if she had had more money. But she didnt
have much money, so she never traveled.
-

I would have read more as a child if I hadnt had a TV. Unfortunately, I did have a TV,
so I never read for entertainment.

- Mary would have gotten the job and moved to Japan if she had studied Japanese in
school instead of French.
- If they had worked harder, they would have earned more money. Unfortunately, they
were lazy and they didnt earn much.
- What would you have done if you had won the lottery last week?
I would have traveled.
- What city would you have chosen if you had decided to move to the U.S.?
I would have chosen Seattle.
-

If I had arrived earlier, I could have met him. As I didnt arrive earlier, I didnt meet
him.
If he had taken your advice, he would have avoided making the mistake. As he didnt
take your advice, he made the mistake.
4

Subjunctive Mood

Steve Lin

If you had been in my shoes, you might have done it. As you were not in my shoes,
you didnt do it.
Future Unreal Conditional

1. 1 ():

If + S + Simple Past, S +

would

+ Verb

could
might
should
* Present Unreal Conditional
Examples:
- If I had a day off from work next week, I would go to the beach.
(I dont have a day off from work.)
- Im busy next week. If I had time, I would come to your party. (I cant come.)
- Jerry would help me with my homework tomorrow if he didnt have to work.
(He does have to work tomorrow.)
2. 2 ():
2 2
Present Continuous
if-
If + S + were + V-ing, S +

would be

+ V-ing

should be
could be
might be
Examples:
- If I were going to Fiji next week, I would be taking my scuba gear with me.
(Im not going to Fiji and Im mot going to take my scuba gear with me.)
IN IF CLAUSE AND RESULT

If I were not visiting my grandmother tomorrow, I would help you study.

(Im going to visit my grandmother tomorrow.) IN IF CLAUSE
Im busy next week. If I had time, I would be coming to your party.
(Im not going to come to your party.) IN RESULT

3. 3 ():
3 3
Going To 2 3
Going To if-
5

Subjunctive Mood

Steve Lin

If + S + were going to + V-ing, S +

would be
should be

+ V-ing

could be
might be
Examples:
- If I were going to go to Fiji next week, I would be taking my scuba gear with me.
(Im not going to go to Fiji and Im not going to take my scuba gear with me.)
IN IF CLAUSE AND RESULT

If I were not going to visit my grandmother tomorrow, I would help you study.

(Im going to visit my grandmother tomorrow.) IN IF CLAUSE

Im busy next week. If I had time, I would be coming to your party.
(Im not going to come to your party.) IN RESULT

* Future Real Conditional Future Unreal Conditional

-

If you help me move tomorrow, I will buy you dinner.

(I dont know if you can help me.) Future Real Conditional

If you helped me move tomorrow, I would buy you dinner.

(You cant help me, or you dont want to help me.) Future Unreal Conditional
If should

1.
If + S + should + V, S +

would
could
should

+V

might
ought to
Examples:
- If you should get sick, the meeting would be put off.
2.

If it should rain, I would stay home.

If + S + should + V, S +

will

+V

can
should
may
ought to
Examples:
- If you should get sick, the meeting will be put off.
- If it should rain, I will stay home.