THE SUBJUNCTIVES

A. PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVES
Bentuk Verb I
1. Dipakai dalam kalimat seru untuk menyatakan sebuah harapan atau keinginan, yang sering
berhubungan dengan kekuatan supranatural.
Contoh :
- God bless you! - Curse this frog!
- Heaven bless us! - Damn you!
- God forgives you!
- Heaven be praised!

2. Kadang-kadang dipakai dalam puisi, untuk menyatakan harapan atau dalam anak kalimat
pengandaian atau pertentangan.
Contoh :
- Stevenson : Fair the day shine as it shone in my childhood.
(may the day shine / I hope it will shine)
- Shakespeare : If this be error and upon me proved.
(if this is error)
- Byron : Though the heart be still as loving …
(though the heart is)
Phrase : if need be, mempunyai arti yang sama dengan if it is necessary
Contoh :
If need be we can always bring another car.
3. Beberapa kata kerja diikuti oleh should + infinitive.
Bila infinitivenya be, kata should dihilangkan sebelum kata kerja lain.
Contoh :
- I recommended that each competitor (should) receive $1.

B. PAST SUBJUNCTIVE
Bentuk : Verb II
Was / were boleh dipakai oleh : I, he, she, it.
Penggunaan :
1. Wish / If only
A. Wish + subyek + Verb II
Dipakai untuk menyatakan penyesalan waktu sekarang.
 Contoh :
- I wish I knew his address = I’m sorry I don’t know his address.
- I wish you could drive a car = I’m sorry you can’t drive a car.
- I wish he was coming with us = I’m sorry he isn’t comingwith us.
Wish dapat diletakkan dalam bentuk lampau tanpa mengubah bentuk
subjunctivenya.
Contoh :
- He wished he knew the address = He was sorry he didn’t know the address.

B. Wish + subyek + had Verb III

Dipakai untuk menyaakan penyesalan waktu lampau.
Contoh :
- I wish I hadn’t spent so much money = I’m sorry I spent much money.
- I wish you had written to him = I’m sorry you didn’t write to him.
Wish dapat diletakkan dalam bentuk lampau tanpa mengubah betuk
subjunctivenya.
Contoh :
- I wished I hadn’t spent so much money = I was sorry I had spent so much
money.
Catatan :
1. Wish + subject + would dipakai untuk menyatakan kesediaan / ketidak-
sediaan subyek melakukan sesuatu.
Contoh :
- I wish they would change the menu = I’m tired of eating the sausages.
- I wish he would wear a coat = I’m sorry he refuses to wear a coat.
Wish dengan pola ini tidak dipakai dengan subyek yang sama.
2. Wish + infinitive dipakai untuk menyatakan keinginan.
Contoh :
- Do you wish to see the manager?
- Yes, I wish to make complaint.
Untuk menyatakan keinginan diwaktu lampau, lebih sering dipakai wanted.
Contoh :
- I wanted to see the exhibition.
- I wanted Bill to come with me.
If only dapat dipakai untuk menggantikan wish.
 Contoh :
- If only we knew where to look for him.
- If only she had asked someone’s advice.

2. As if / as though
A. Dipakai untuk menunjukkan sesuatu yang tidak nyaa, yang tidak mungkin atau
keragu-raguan di waktu sekarang.
Contoh :
- He behaves as if he owned the place (but he doesn’t own it or probably he
doesn’t own it or we don’t know whether he owns it or not).
- He talks as though he knew where she was (but he doesn’t know or probably
doesn’t know or we don’t know whether he knows it or not).
- He orders me about as if I were his wife (but I am not).
Kata kerja yang mendahului as if / as though dapat diletakkan dalam bentuk lampau
tanpa mengubah bentuk subjunctivenya.
Contoh :
- He talks / talked as though he knew where she was..

B. As if / as though + subyek + had Verb III

Dipakai untuk menyatakan sesuatu yang nyata atau khayal di waktu lampau.
Contoh :
- He talks about Rome as though / as if he had been there himself (but he hadn’t
or probably he hadn’t or we don’t know whether he had or not).
Kata kerja yang mendahului as if / as though dapat diubah menjadi bentuk lampau
tanpa mengubah bentuk subjunctivenya.
Contoh :
- He looks / looked as though he hadn’t had a decent meal for a month.

3. Would rather / sooner

Dipakai untuk menyatakan pilihan.
A. Would rather / sooner + Verb I
Dipakai bila subyek would rather / sooner sama dengan subyek verb I-nya.
Contoh :
- I would rather / sooner wait till tomorrow.
- Jane would rather / sooner stay here.
 Prefer + to Verb I dapat menggantikan susunan ini.
Contoh :
- I would prefer you to help your parents.
- Bob would prefer me to go with you.

4. It is time
A. It is time + to Verb I / It is time for obyek + to Verb I
Dipakai untuk menyatakan waktu yang tepat untuk melakukan sesuatu.
Contoh :
- It’s time to start.
- It’s time for us to go.
B. It is time + subyek + Verb II
Dipakai untuk menyatakan waktu yang sedikit terlambat untuk melakukan sesuatu.
Kata high dapat ditambahkan untuk menekankan keterlambatan itu.
Contoh :
- It’s time he started.
- It’s time we went.
- It’s high time I talked to him.
- It’s high time we changed the topic.
Exercises
A. Put the verbs in brackets into correct forms.
1. It’s just struck midnight. It’s high time we (leave) left
2. If only we (have) a phone! I’m tired of queuing outside the public phone box. had
3. He walks as if he (have) a wooden leg.
4. He talks as if he (do) all the work himself, but in fact Tom and I did most of it.
5. Father: I’ve supported you all through university. I think it’s time you (begin) to support
yourself.
6. I wish I (know) what is wrong with my car.
7. I wish I (ask) the fishmonger to clean these fish. (I’m sorry I didn’t ask him.)
8. It’s time we (do) something to stop the road accidents.
9. The cheese looks as if rats (nibble) it.
10. It’s high time they (mend) this road.
11. He always talks as though he (address) a public meeting.
12. He treats us as if we (be) all idiots.
13. Wife : I’d like to get a job.
Husband : I’d much rather you (stay) at home and (look) after the house.
14. I wish you (not give) him any phone number. (I’m sorry you gave it to him.)
15. If only he (know) then the disease was curable!
16. You talk as though it (be) a small thing to leave your country forever.
17. I hate driving. I’d rather you (drive).
18. If only I (be) insured! (But I wasn’t insured.)
19. I wish transistor radios never (be) invented.
20. If only I (keep) my mouth shut! (I said something which made matters much worse.)
21. I’ll pay you by cheque monthly.
I’d rather you (pay) me cash weekly.
22. When someone says something to me, I translate it into French and then I think of a reply
in French, and then translate it into English to say it.
It’s high time you (stop) doing this translation and start thinking in English.
23. I said ‘Sunday’
I wish you (not say) Sunday. We’ll never be ready by then.
 B. Answer the following questions by expressing a preference for a different action.
Questions : Can I write my essay on the back of an envelope?
Possible answer : I’d rather you wrote it on a sheet of foolscap.

Similarly :

Can we bring our pet snake to your party?

I’d rather you didn’t or I’d rather you left it at home.

It would also of course be possible answer with prefer + object + infinitive :

I’d prefer you to write it on foolscap.

I’d prefer you to leave it at home.

Use you in all answer.

1. Can I go by bus? I’d rather you went by taxi.

2. Can I go alone? I’d rather you went with me.
3. Can we start tomorrow?
4. Can I ring New York on your phone?
5. Can we sleep in the garden tonight?
6. Can we cook our steak by holding it in front of your electricfire?
7. Can we use your scissors to cut this wire?
8. Can I leave school at sixteen?
9. Can we come late tomorrow?
10. Shall I wake you up when I come in and tell you what happened?
11. Can I clean my motorcycle in the kitchen?
12. Can I tell Tom what you’ve just told me?
13. Can I go barefoot?
14. Can I have a snake tattooed round my neck?
15. Shall we paint your door pink with yellow stars?
16. Shall I ring you at 3a.m.?
17. Shall I threaten to burn down this house?
18. Can we bathe after dark?
C. Rewrite the following using a wish construction (phrases in brackets should be
omitted)
1. I’m sorry I haven’t got a washing machine. I wish I had got a washing machine.
2. I’m sorry I don’t live near my work. I wish I lived near my work.
3. I’m sorry our garden doesn’t get any sun.
4. I’m sorry I called him a liar.
5. I’m sorry I don’t know Finish.
6. I’m sorry I don’t book a seat.
7. I’m sorry I haven’t got any car.
8. I’m sorry I can’t drive.
9. I’d like Tom to drive more slowly. (but I haven’t any great hopes of this.)
10. I’d like you to keep quiet. (You’re making so much noise that I can’t think.)
11. I’m sorry we accepted the invitation.
12. I’m sorry that theatre tickets cost so much.
13. It’s a pity that shops here shut on Saturday afternoon.
14. It’s a pity he didn’t work harder during the term.
15. I’m sorry you didn’t see it.
16. It’s a pity you are going tonight.
17. It’s a pity I haven’t got any work permit.
18. I would like to stop raining (but I’m not very hopeful.)
19. I’d like you to wait for me (even though you are ready to start now.)
20. I’m sorry I didn’t bring a map.
21. I’m sorry I ever came to this country.
22. I’m sorry I left my last job.
23. I’m sorry I didn’t stay in my last job.