Subjunctive Mood

If I only had a brain...

First thing first

How

can a verb have a mood?

According to Troyka and Hesse, Mood in verbs

conveys an attitude toward the action in a
sentence.
In English, there are three moods: Indicative,
Imperative, and Subjunctive.

*Important Side Note*

The Subjunctive Mood is being used less and less in

every day dialogue but still must be known for
academic writing.
The Hodges Harbrace Handbook states that
Although you may not use the subjunctive when you
are speaking with friends, using it in your writing
shows your readers how you feel about your claims.
So here we go!!!!

When to use the Subjunctive Mood

The

Subjunctive mood is used when the verb

is trying to express the following:

Speculation
Indirect Requests
Demands
Wishes
Unlikely events
Recommendations

The Use of the Subjunctive Mood in

present and past tense.

Present Subjunctive: Use the SIMPLE forms of

verbs.

Example: It is important that they be [not are] allowed back

stage for the Cheap Trick concert.

Past Subjunctive: Use the SIMPLE PAST forms of

verbs.

Examples: If I only had a brain.

EXCEPTION: Use were for present and past tense

Subjunctive.
Examples: I wish they were coming home today. (Present)
Examples: We asked if we were allowed to skip school. (Past)

Key words in finding and using the

subjunctive mood
If
As

If
As Though
Unless

The Subjunctive Mood in If, As If, As

Though, & Unless Clauses

Used as Dependent Clauses

A dependent clause contains a subject and a predicate but

cant stand alone as a sentence. Usually adverb or
adjective clauses.

Describes speculations or conditions contrary to fact.

Examples:
If it were to snow, our flight would be canceled.
We will never be friends again, unless she were to apologize.

NOTE!!! Not every clause introduced with these key words will
be subjunctive. Make sure the clause expresses a speculation
or a condition contrary to fact.

The Subjunctive Mood in That Clauses

That

clauses are used to describe wishes,

requests, demands, or recommendations.

Examples:
I

wish that I had seen Blink-182.

She recommended that I see a doctor.

Modal Auxiliary Verbs in the

Subjunctive (or helping verbs)
Modal

Auxiliary Verbs: would, could, might, &

should.
These words can convey speculation and
therefore are used in the Subjunctive Mood.

Examples:
If

I were a little bit taller, I would be a baller.

She might lie to my face, as if I were nothing.

NOTE:

Do NOT use a modal auxiliary verb in

both the dependent and independent clause.

Indicative vs. Subjunctive Conjugation

Present Tense
Singular

Plural

I Am

We Are

You Are

You Are

He, She, It
Is

They Are

Singular

Plural

That I Be

That We Be

That You
Be

That You
Be

That He,
She, It, Be

That They
Be

Indicative vs. Subjunctive Conjugation

Past Tense
Singular

Plural

Singular

Plural

I Was

We Were

If I Were

If We Were

You Were

You Were

If You Were

If You Were

He, She, It
Was

They Were

If She, He, It
Were

If They
Were

Practice!

Choose the correct subjunctive verb form to complete the following

sentence.

If he _____ in better shape, he would be a great addition to our football

team.

The coach asked that each player ____ twice a day.

A. would practice B. practice C. practiced

The coach of the Cane Ridge Ravens football team required that each
student _____ for their ticket to the game on Friday.

A. would have been B. were C. would be D. was

A. paid B. pay C. had paid

We wished that we _____ Riverdales team.

A. beat B. had beaten C. would have beaten

Answers!

If he were in better shape, he would be a great

addition to our football team.
The coach asked that each player practice twice
each day.
The coach of the Cane Ridge Ravens required that
each student pay for their ticket to the game on
Friday.
We wished that we had beaten Riverdales rugby
team.

Post-Assignment
Please

write a paragraph containing at least

five uses of the Subjunctive Mood. You can
write your paragraph over the following topics
or with a topic of your choice.

What if you were a millionaire?

What would you do if you were a genie?
How would your life now be different if you were
living in America during the 1970s?