Past subjunctive

The past subjunctive is formed with the past form of a verb that describes a state, condition, or habit.
It is used to talk about hypothetical or imaginary situations. The past subjunctive has the same form
as the past simple tense except in the case of the verb be. Traditionally, the past subjunctive form
of be is were for all persons, including the first and third person singular.

The past subjunctive is used in subordinate clauses and refers to unreal or improbable present or
future situations:

If I were you, I would apply right now. (I am not you.)

What would you do if you won the lottery? (You probably won't win the lottery.)
It's time the kids were in bed. (The kids are not in bed.)
I wish you were here. (You are not here.)
I'd rather your boyfriend stopped calling you in the middle of the night. (Your boyfriend keeps calling
you.)
He looks as if he knew the answer. (He gives the impression that he knows the answer, but he
probably doesn't.)

USES
1. WISH: We used for hypothetical situations or unfulfilled desire, and the verb that follows is
always in the subjunctive
 I wish Sally were here to help us.
 He wishes he could run faster
 I wish I lived nearer. Then we could meet more often. (I'm sorry that I don't live nearer)

2. After If (Only) in second conditional sentences

The second conditional can describe an unreal situation with reference to the present. We
imagine a hypothetical situation which contrasts with reality:

 If I knew the answer, I'd tell you. (Here If I knew the answer means that I don't know
the answer)
In the if-clause, we use the past subjunctive form of the verb, which is identical to the past
simple tense except in the case of the verb be.

3. After the verbs suppose and imagine, expressing unreal conditions (usually followed by a
sentence with would or could)
 Suppose you met the president. What would you say?
 Imagine you were rich. What could you do?

4. After as though or as if to make a comparison to an imaginary condition

 Clauses that start with as if / as though describe an unreal or improbable situation if they are
followed by an unreal tense (the past subjunctive or the past perfect subjunctive). Otherwise,
they express that the statement is true.

The past subjunctive after as if / as though indicates an unreal situation in the present.
However, if the situation is true, we use a real tense to express present time:

 He looks as if he knew the answer. (he gives the impression that he knows the answer,
but he (probably) doesn't know or we don't know whether he knows or not)
 He looks as if he knows the answer. (he knows the answer)
 She looks as though she were going to kill him

5. Inversion
sentences in English always have a subject and this one must go before the verb. I am hungry!
However, there are specific cases in which we change this order. To give more emphasis to
what we are expressing, we change the place of the main verb, the auxiliary or the modal verb.
This is what we know as investment.

some clauses containing subjunctive verb forms, or other constructions that have the function
of subjunctives, may exhibit subject–auxiliary inversion (an auxiliary verb changes places with
the subject of the clause).

The most common example of this is in condition clauses, where inversion is accompanied by
the omission of the conjunction if.

 If he remembers his own name, we’ll be able to help him. (1st Conditional)
Replace “if” with “should.”
Replace the verb with the bare infinitive. (e.g. “goes” →” go,” “has” → “have,” am/is/are
→ “be”)
Should he remember his own name, we’ll be able to help him.
 If he pushed the button, we’d all have problems. (2ndo Conditional)
To invert this:
Replace “if” with “were.”
Change the verb to the infinitive form (with “to”).
Were he to push the button, we’d all have problems.
 If we’d arrived sooner, we wouldn’t have missed the beginning. (3er Conditional)
To invert this:
Delete “if.”
Invert the subject and the auxiliary. (“we had” → “had we”)
Had we arrived sooner, we wouldn’t have missed the beginning.

6. Fixed expressions with the subjunctive

What’s a fixed expression? It’s a collection of words (a phrase) which has one specific
meaning. Those words are fixed together and it might have a particular idiomatic meaning, or
at least a specific meaning which is.
 (es una forma estándar de expresión que ha adquirido un significado más específico que la
expresión en sí misma. Es diferente de un proverbio en que se usa como parte de una
oración, y es la forma estándar de expresar un concepto o idea.)

There are a number of fixed expressions which require the subjunctive, including:
 God Bless you. (Which means: May God bless you.)
 Long live our gracious Queen. (The first line of the British National Anthem)
 A toast now: long live the bride and groom.
 I have always supported you financially, but be that as it may, I can no longer support
your current lifestyle.
 If I have to pretend that you no longer exist, so be it.

Be that as it may means whether that is the case or not So be it means nothing can or will be
done to change that.

EXERCICE

GROUP No 1 The doctor suggested she exercise more and not work on weekends ADVISABILITY
GROUP No 2 Mr. Smith urged that his wife be taken to hospital immediately. URGENCY
GROUP No 3 Mum demands that Peter get home before dark. OBLIGATION

SECOND CONDITIONAL
GROUP No 1 If it weren't for Miguel, we wouldn't know what to do now.
GROUP No 2 If the negotiations were to fall through, it would bring about unforeseen problems.
GROUP No 3 If he were to propose to you now, what would you say?

INVERSION
GROUP No 1 Were it not for Miguel, we wouldn't know what to do now.
GROUP No 2 Were the negotiations to fall through, it would bring about unforeseen problems.
GROUP No 3 Were he to propose to you now, what would you say?

3 CONDITIONAL
GROUP No 1 If we had booked our flight earlier, it would have been cheaper.
GROUP No 2 If it hadn't been for your foolishness, we wouldn't have got lost.
GROUP No 3 If I had known about Mr Smith's behaviour sooner,I would have fired him immediately.

INVERSION
GROUP No 1 Had we booked our flight earlier, it would have been cheaper.
GROUP No 2 Had it not been for your foolishness, we wouldn't have got lost
GROUP No 3 Had I known about Mr Smith's behaviour sooner , I would have fired him immediately.
 INCORRECT FORM
GROUP No 1 I insist that you not to tell her
GROUP No 2 It’s a good idea that he goes at once.
GROUP No 3 He demanded that we to pay for the broken plate.

CORRECT FORM
GROUP No 1 I insist that you not tell her.
GROUP No 2 It’s a good idea that he go at once.
GROUP No 3 He demanded that we pay for the broken plate

SETS OR FIXED EXPRESSIONS

GROUP No 1 Long live our gracious Queen.
GROUP No 2 A toast now: long live the bride and groom.
GROUP No 3 If I have to pretend that you no longer exist, so be it.