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E.g. She opened the window lest it should be stuffy in the room.
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· The Subjunctive Mood is used in adverbial clauses of concession.
Adverbial clauses of concession are introduced by the conjunctions and connectives though, although, however, no matter, whatever, whoever, etc. The analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary may (might) is generally used.
e.g. Though he may (might) be tired he will go to the concert.
If the action of the subordinate clause is prior to that of the principal clause the Perfect Infinitive is generally used.
e.g. However badly he may have behaved to you in the past he is still your brother.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in adverbial clauses of time and place
after the conjunctions whenever and wherever; in these cases the clauses have an additional concessive meaning.
e.g. Whenever you may (might) come, you are welcome.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in adverbial clauses of comparison ( or manner) introduced by the conjunctions as if and as though ( the latter is more literary).
If the action of subordinate clause is simultaneous with that of the principal clause the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used; with other verbs the same meaning is expressed by the Past Indefinite of the Indicative Mood.
e.g. She speaks about him as if she knew him well.
If the action of the subordinate clause is prior to that of the principal clause the Past Perfect of the Indicative Mood is used.
e.g. She speaks about him as if she had known him for years.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in predicative clauses:
a) introduced by the conjunctions as if, as though, when we find the link verbs to be, to fell, to look, to seem, etc. in the principal clause.
If the action of subordinate clause is simultaneous with that of the principal clause the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used; with other verbs the same meaning is expressed by the Past Indefinite of the Indicative Mood.
If the action of the subordinate clause is prior to that of the principal clause the Past Perfect of the Indicative Mood is used.
e.g. I fell as if we were back seven years, Jon.
b) when the subject of the principal clause is expressed by an abstract noun such as wish, suggestion, aim, idea, etc. In this case the analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should (for all persons) is used.
e.g. One of the conditions was that I should go abroad.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in subject clause after a principal clause of the type It is necessary, It is important, etc.
It is necessary
It is important
It is right
It is requested
It is recommended that smb. should do smth.
It is obligatory
It is better (best)
It is desirable
It is of vital importance
The analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should is used for all persons.
e.g. It was necessary that the child’s history should be known to none.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in object clauses:
a) When the predicate of the principal clause is expressed by the verb to
wish. If the action expressed in the object clause is simultaneous with that of the principal clause the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used; with other verbs the same meaning is expressed by the Past Indefinite of the Indicative Mood.
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e.g. I wish I were a girl again.
If the action expressed in the object clause is prior to that of the principal clause the Past Perfect of the Indicative Mood is used.
e.g. Auntie, I wish I had not done it.
The analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary would (for all persons) is also used in object clauses the verb to wish. This form is used only in sentences referring to the present or future; it is possible only if the subject of the principle clause is not the same as the subject of the object clause. It is chiefly used in sentences expressing request or annoyance.
e.g. I wish you would stay with me for a while.
b) The Subjunctive Mood is used in object clauses introduced by the
conjunction lest if in the principal clause the predicate is expressed by a verb denoting fear.
e.g. She fears lest she should be blamed.
After verbs denoting fear object clauses are often introduced by the conjunction that, in which case the Indicative Mood is used often with the modal verb may (might).
e.g. She fears that she will (would) be blamed.
c) The Subjunctive Mood is used in object clauses when we find verbs
and Word-groups denoting order, suggestion, advice, desire, etc. in the principal clause. The analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should (for all persons) is used.
Suggest
Propose
Demand
Desire
Insist that smth. should be done
To be anxious
See to it
Order
Require
Make up one’s mind
e.g. Mr. Micawber was very anxious that I should stay to dinner.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in attributive appositive clauses modifying the nouns wish, suggestion, aim, idea, etc. The analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should (for all persons) is used.
e.g. His wish that everybody should take part in the work was reasonable.
· The Subjunctive Mood is also used in attributive clauses modifying the noun time in the principal clause It is time, It is high time. In this case the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used; with other verbs the same meaning is expressed by the Past Indefinite of the Indicative Mood.
e.g. It is time we went home.
The analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should is also possible, though less common.
e.g. It is time we should go home.
· As has already been stated the Subjunctive Mood may be used to express an emotional attitude of the speaker to real facts. Here we always find the analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should, which in this case is often called the ‘emotional should’. If priority is expressed the Perfect Infinitive is used.
In this case the Subjunctive Mood is rendered in Russian by the Indicative Mood. The emotional should occurs in different kinds of subordinate clauses; the principal clause in such cases contains:
a) An adjective expressing astonishment, incredulity, regret, joy, such as strange, wonderful, unnatural, impossible, fortunate, unfortunate, etc.
e.g. It is impossible that she should have said it.
b) A noun with the same meaning: wonder, pity, shame, etc.
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e.g. He is such a charming man that it is quite a pity he should be so grave and so dull.
c) The principal clause may be of the following type: I am sorry, glad, pleased, vexed, etc.
e.g. I am sorry you should take such needless trouble.
· The Tenses of the Forms Expressing Unreality (Summary)
As can be seen from the above description, not all the forms of unreality can express tense distinctions. Thus the Subjunctive Mood and the modal phrases should (for all persons) + infinitive and would (for all persons) + infinitive have no tense distinctions. They are used only in certain types of subordinate clauses and generally show that the action of that clause follows the action of the principal clause, i.e. they express time relatively.
e.g. I suggest(ed) that he takes up the matter.
Since these forms have no tense distinctions the rules of the sequence of tenses are not observed here.
Tense distinctions are expressed only by the forms of the Conditional Mood (which has two tenses – Present and Past) and also by the use of the forms of the Past Indefinite and the Past Perfect.
The Present Conditional Mood and the form of the Past Indefinite (also the form were for all persons singular) serve to refer an action to the present or the future when they are used in complex sentences with a clause of condition (or a clause of concession introduced by even if or even though).
e.g. If I had time I should go on a short holiday.
The Past Conditional Mood and the form of the Past Perfect serve to refer an action to the past in the same kinds of clauses.
e.g. If I had had time I should have gone on a short holiday.
The Present Conditional Mood is also used with reference to the present or future in simple sentences with implied condition while the Past Conditional refers an action to the past.
e.g. It would not be possible to decide anything without him.
It would not have been possible to decide anything without him.
In all those cases the tenses are used absolutely, i.e. they refer an action directly to the present, the past or the future.
The same is true of the modal verb were + infinitive which is used only in if-clauses and refers an action of that clause to the future.
e.g. If everybody were to be brought up differently, would the world not change?
But when all those forms, which in the above described cases express time relations absolutely are used in other subordinate clauses, they become relative tenses, i.e. they express the time with regard to the action of the principal clause. The Present Conditional Mood and the form of the Past Indefinite indicate that the action of the subordinate clause is simultaneous with that of the principal clause or follows it.
e.g. They say it would be impossible to decide anything without him.
The Past Conditional Mood and the form of the Past Perfect show that the action of the subordinate clause precedes that of the principal clause.
e.g. They say it would have been impossible to decide anything without him.
It should be remembered that the tenses in sentences of unreal condition are also used relatively in reported speech.
e.g. He says that if he had time he would go on a short holiday.
As is seen from the examples, the rules of the sequence of tenses are not observed with any of the above mentioned forms expressing unreality.
It is different, however, when the forms can (may) + infinitive are used to express problematic actions. Can is found only in clauses of purpose, may – in clauses of purpose and-in object clauses after expressions of fear in the principal clause.
e.g. On Sundays we always go outing so that the children can spend the day in the open air.
The forms can (may) + infinitives are in the Indicative Mood here, so the rules of the sequence of tenses should be observed. The above forms express the time relatively – they show that the action of the subordinate clause follows that of the principal clause.
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e.g. On Sundays we always went outing so that the children could spend the day in the open air.
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