Subjunctive
The structure of the
subjunctive is extremely simple. For all verbs except the past tense of be, the subjunctive is the same as the bare infinitive (infinitive
without "to"):
be
(past)
|
be
(present)
|
all
other verbs (past & present)
|
I were
you were
he, she, it were
we were
you were
they were
|
I be
you be
he, she, it be
we be
you be
they be
|
I work
you work
he, she, it work
we work
you work
they work
|
The subjunctive does not
change according to person (I, you, he, etc).
Use of the Subjunctive
We use subjunctives mainly
when talking about events that are not certain to happen. For example, we use
the subjunctive when talking about events that somebody:
·
wants to
happen
·
anticipates
will happen
·
imagines
happening
For Examples:
·
The
President requests that you be present at the meeting.
·
It is vital
that you be present at the meeting.
·
If you were at the meeting, the President would be happy.
The subjunctive is typically
used after two structures:
·
the verbs: ask, command, demand, insist, propose, recommend, request, suggest
+ that
·
the
expressions: it is desirable, essential, important, necessary, vital + that
Here are some examples with
the subjunctive:
·
The manager
insists that the car park be locked at night.
·
The board
of directors recommended that he join the company.
·
It is
essential that we vote as soon as possible.
·
It was
necessary that every student submit his essay by the weekend.
1.
PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVES
Present SUBJUNCTIVES is expectation in the present and in the
future. The characteristics of the Present SUBJUNCTIVES is said acts in the
form of "Bare Infinitive".
Examples:
·
May God bless you!
·
Have a good time!
·
Long live the President!
2.
PAST SUBJUNCTIVES
Past SUBJUNCTIVES is expectation that does not happen in the
present. The characteristics of the Past tenses SUBJUNCTIVES is used in the
form of "Past".
Word / phrase that is often used in the Past SUBJUNCTIVES are:
- Wish
- If Only
- As if
- As though
- Would rather
- It's time
Wish
“Wish” refers to:
a.
Indicates Future Time
Pattern: S + wish + would / could + Verb
Example:
- It's
raining. She wishes it would stop.
- I
wish Fatimah could come.
b. Indicates Present Time
Pattern: S + wish ... + S + Past Verb
Examples:
- They wish I were there.
(Mereka berharap saya ada di sana)
Faktanya: Saya tidak ada di sana
- She wishes I would not come.
(Dia berharap saya tidak akan datang)
Faktanya: Saya akan datang
If
Only
"If Only" means that we use
here is "If".
Examples:
- If only she were not
here.
(Seandainya dia tidak ada disini)
- If only they could speak
English.
(Seandainya mereka bisa berbicara bahasa Inggris)
Would
Rather
It can be used to describe the "prefer", would
rather can also be used on SUBJUNCTIVES, which means the same,
"prefer".
Example:
- I would rather you went now.
- They would
rather I not call them.
As if / As though
As if and As though having the same function and meaning,
which is "as if".
Example:
- Edi talks as if he knew everything.
- They act as though they were the real actors.
It's
Time
It's time they mean by "now time". There are 2
patterns of It's Time, that are:
·
It's time + to infinitives
·
It's time + Subject + Past
Form
Examples:
- It's time to get up.
- It's time to go to the movie.
- It's time you sent the letter.
- It's time I went to school.
3.
PAST PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVES
Past Perfect SUBJUNCTIVES is an expression of expectation
that does not happen in the past. The characteristic of the Past Perfect
SUBJUNCTIVES is the verb in the Past Perfect form.
Examples:
- I wished they had invited me.
- You talked as if you had been there.
- They would rather I had called them.
- If only I had rejected him.
Informal
Situation
Examples:
- She talked as if she was there.
- I wish she is here.
We usually use the subjunctive were instead of "was" after if (and other words with similar meaning). Look at these sentences:
·
If I were you, I would ask her.
Suppose she were here. What would you say?
Why do we say "I
were", "he were"?
We sometimes hear things
like "if I were you, I would go" or "if he were here, he would tell you". Normally, the past tense of the
verb "to be" is: I was, he was. But the if I were you structure doesn’t use the past simple tense of
the verb "to be". It uses the past subjunctive of the verb "to be". In the following examples, you can
see that we often use the subjunctive form were instead of "was" after:
·
If
·
as if
·
wish
·
suppose
Formal
(The were form is correct at all times.)
|
Informal
(The was form is possible in informal, familiar conversation.)
|
If I were younger,
I would go.
|
If I was younger, I would go.
|
If he weren't so mean,
he would buy one for me.
|
If he wasn't so mean,
he would buy one for me.
|
I wish I weren't so slow!
|
I wish I wasn't so slow!
|
I wish it were longer.
|
I wish it was longer.
|
It's not as if I were ugly.
|
It's not as if I was ugly.
|
She acts as if she were Queen.
|
She acts as if she was Queen.
|
If I were you, I
should tell her.
|
Note: We do not normally say "if I was you", even in familiar
conversation.
|
Some fixed expressions use
the subjunctive. Here are some examples:
·
Long live the King!
·
God bless America!
·
Heaven forbid!
·
Be that as it may, he still wants to see her.
·
Come what may, I will never forget you.
·
We are all
citizens of the world, as it were.