Moods in English

What are grammatical moods?

Mood is the use of form to indicate semantic and grammatical differences in the manner of the action of a verb. Three moods are used in English:

Indicative Imperative Subjunctive

Indicative

Indicative mood is used to state a fact or ask a question:

What is the moon made of? This is a small town. They go to school. I am going to visit you next week. She had forgotten to ask about it.

Indicatives are real, they happened or will happen

Imperative

Imperative mood is used to make a command or request:

Come here. Ask him about that. Sit down.

When not intended strictly, we usually use please in imperatives:

Pass me the salt, please.

Lets go imperative

The imperative in the first and third person both singular and plural are formed with let:
Let me speak. Let him finish the sentence. Let us go.

Negative imperatives:
Dont let him stop here.

Other uses of the imperative

Do tell me all you know. Do be quiet now.

You sit here. You behave yourself.

Up you come! Out you go!

Polite requests

Will you, would you, can you could you

Will you do it for me? Would you helf me? Can you call a taxi? Could you open the window?

Would you mind

Would you mind if I smoked? Would you mind my opening the window?

Subjunctive

Subjunctive mood is used to express doubt, wishing, belief, or improbability:

If the moon were made of blue cheese, it would smell.

The subjunctive mood is indicated through a shift in tense when the dependent clause follows a wish statement, or is an improbable if clause

Probable if clause: If I buy a watch I will know the time. Improbable: If I won the lottery, I would not care about the time.

Sentences that express urging, demand, or necessity also require the subjunctive mood. Verbs other than the verb 'to be' in the dependent clause use the present tense form of the verb, without adding the 's' for the third person singular:
I demand that she apologize to the student.

Such sentences that require the verb 'to be' in the dependent clause use the form 'be' in all three persons:
I insist that I be promoted. I had insisted that you be hired immediately. They insisted that she be nominated for President.

Contrasted
Indicative I am you are he is she is it is we are they are

Subjunctive I be you be he be she be it be we be they be

Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the Simple Present Subjunctive of the verbs shown in brackets. be 1. He suggested that I _________ ready by eight o'clock. (to be) open 2. We request that she _________ the leave window. (to open) 3. They demanded that he _________ the accompany room. (to leave) 4. I will ask that she _____________ me. (to accompany) fly 5. They recommended that he _________ to Bermuda. (to fly)

Complete each of the following sentences with the Simple Past Subjunctive of the verb shown in brackets. were 1. I wish it _________ possible to finish the work tonight. (to be) 2. Will he wish hewere ______ ready? (to be) 3. She wished she knew _________ how to sing. (to know) wanted 4. We wish they ____________ to come with us. (to want) felt 5. You wished you ___________ better. (to feel)

I wish he were ___________ here now. (to be) Had been 2. I wish that you _____________ here yesterday. (to be) Would come 3. We wish you ________________ tomorrow. (to come) Would come 4. They wished he _________________ with them the next day. (to come) Had arrived 5. We wish you ________________ yesterday. (to arrive) 6. I wish that he Would visit ______________ us next year. (to visit)