While communicating, sentences in subjunctive mood:

Although uses for the subjunctive mood in English are rare, they are difficult enough to make a grown man cry. You can form subjunctives with were, had, if and even as though. The subjunctive is used to indicate conditions that aren’t true. It also appears in commands, wishes, and requests.

Using subjunctives with “were”

Tevye, the main character in the musical Fiddler on the Roof, sings “If I Were a Rich Man” with the sadness of a man who knows that he’ll never be anything but poor. Tevye’s song is about a condition contrary to fact — something that is not true. Take note of the verb in the title: were. Normally (that is to say, in an indicative sentence) the subject–verb pair would be I was. But Tevye sings If I were because he isn’t a rich man. The verb were is in subjunctive mood.

Here are some examples of present and future tense subjunctives:

Subjunctive: If Roger were an honorable spy, he would not reveal the atomic secret hidden in the bean burrito.

Why it’s subjunctive: Roger is not an honorable spy, and he’s going to blab the secret.

What the normal subject-verb pair would be: Roger was.

To sum up, in subjunctive sentences, were is usually all you need (unlike in the Beatles’ song, when love is all you need). Here are a few details about subjunctive for present or future statements of conditions contrary to fact:

• Use were for all subjects in the part of the sentence that expresses what is not true. (If she were entranced by Max’s explanation.)

• For the other part of the sentence, use the helping verb would. (Lola would stare at him in silence.)

• Never use the helping verb would in the untrue part of the sentence. For example:

  Wrong: If I would have been president, I would ask the Martian colony to secede.

  Right: If I were president, I would ask the Martian colony to secede.

As though may sometimes sub for if in a condition-contrary-to-fact sentence. Check out the following:

Subjunctive: Eggworthy hurtled through the air as though a giant metal device were intent on scrambling him.

Why it’s subjunctive: Eggworthy is not being pursued by giant egg-beaters. He is actually hurtling through the air because he is on a skateboard with one bad wheel.

What the normal subject-verb pair would be: Giant metal device was.

Creating subjunctives with “had”

Subjunctives also pop up from time to time with the helping verb had. For past tense sentences, the had belongs in the part of the sentence that is contrary to fact. The contrary-to-fact (that is, the lie) part of the sentence may begin with if, or the if may be understood.

Here are a few examples of the past subjunctive:

Subjunctive with the word if: If Lola had known about the atomic secret, she would not have eaten that burrito.

Subjunctive without the word if: Had Lola known about the atomic secret, she would not have eaten that burrito.

Why it’s subjunctive: Lola knew nothing about the atomic secret; Roger told her that the crunch in the burrito came from an undercooked bean.

What the normal subject-verb pair would be: Lola knew.

Using subjunctives with commands, wishes, and requests

Larry loves to exercise his royal power, so he needs many subjunctive verbs:

His Majesty decrees that all his subjects be counted and then beheaded.

His Majesty asks that the governor of each province climb the nearest Alp and jump off the top.

His Majesty further insists that his favorite wedding planner remain in the palace.

The italicized verbs are all subjunctive. These sentences need subjunctives because they express wishes, requests, or indirect commands.

In everyday communication, many speakers of perfectly good English avoid the subjunctive and use an infinitive or the helping verb should instead. Here are Larry’s requests, with infinitives or should instead of subjunctive verbs:

No, no: we’re not implying that you’ve been fibbing—or even shading the truth. We’re just observing that an important part of human communication involves saying things that aren’t true at the current time. We express our desires, hopes, commands, or even flights of whimsy in order to speculate about the future. Without the power to talk about alternatives to this moment’s reality, our imagination would wither and our ability to cope with changing circumstances would fade away.

But how can we talk about things that are pure speculation without confusing others about what is true and what is not?

Many languages have developed a method to signal the listener or reader that this sort of “contrary to fact” communication is underway. A special class of verb forms, called the subjunctive mood, handles the job. English uses the subjunctive, too, although it’s much reduced from its heyday centuries ago.

Last Chance to Turn Back: There Be Treacherous Footing Ahead

Now, you’re a busy person and the subjunctive mood is a tough topic to master. So, for the first time ever, I’m giving you permission to skip this essay. The chance that you’ll make a catastrophic grammar mistake involving the subjunctive mood is tiny. If other business presses on you, take care of it.

If, on the other hand, you’re willing to spend five minutes to get a deeper understanding of the language you rely on (and also to make sure a subjunctive error will never appear on your website), then refill your teacup and follow along. Oh, and try one of those little cookies—they’re delicious!

If I Were a Rich Man

The term for the normal, factual writing style of prose is called the “indicative mood.” In contrast, the subjunctive mood unlocks the riches of English by allowing us to express our wishes, hopes, and dreams. English has retained two different patterns of how this is done in regular communication…

The Past Subjunctive

What grammar experts call “past subjunctive” constructions don’t necessarily deal with past events. The “past” concept comes into play because the word “were”—a past form of the verb to be—is used. While we would normally expect to see “were” used with a plural subject, in the subjunctive mood the subject will be a singular noun, or a singular pronoun such as I, it, she, or he. Examples will clearly show how the subjunctive mood sets the stage for talking about situations that are contrary to fact:

• If Suzanne were only three inches taller, she could ride the Mega Coaster at the county fair.
• James would call ahead if he were running late for the meeting.
• If I were in your shoes, I would call the police.
• I wish it were six o’clock.

The Present Subjunctive

A phrase in the subjunctive mood is used after verbs indicating requests, commands, orders, and similar concepts. The word “that” often introduces the subjunctive phrase, but it can also be omitted. The subjunctive verb will look like the basic infinitive form of the verb, even when the subject of the phrase is singular; for instance, we’re used to seeing (indicative mood) sentences such as Mary sings, but the subjunctive version would be Mary sing. Check out these examples:

• The music teacher demanded that Mary sing “O mio babbino caro” while juggling flaming torches.
• Dr. Thompson urged that Frank monitor his blood sugar more closely.
• I propose our family visit Barcelona for vacation this year.
• God bless America!

When expletive clauses starting with “it” indicate importance or urgency, they are followed by present subjunctive phrases. Examples:

• It’s vital that she file an immediate appeal of her denied disability claim.
• It is best that the surgeon amputates the little toe before the infection spreads.

Finally, the present subjunctive shows up as the verb “be,” used with singular and plural subjects alike. This particular phrasing now sounds very old-fashioned to modern ears, and you can expect some raised eyebrows if you overuse it. Consider these examples:

• It’s essential Ms. Abrams be in Newark for the board meeting next Monday.
• Will I go to prison if I be found guilty?
• “If this be treason, make the most of it.” —Patrick Henry
• If truth be told, I never really loved you.

“Though This Be Madness, Yet There Is Method in ’t.”

If you are responsible for writing website content for your law firm, medical practice, or other small business, you may be wondering whether it’s worth trying to memorize the rules for the subjunctive mood.

Memorize? Maybe not. But you should be familiar enough with the subjunctive to use it comfortably. Readers respond better to well-written content, even if they cannot name or identify where a specific error lies. When you use English correctly, your potential clients, patients, and customers will respond.

And let’s be honest here: content writers do make mistakes when it comes to the subjunctive mood. See if you can spot the errors in these recent scraps of content writing:

• “When you place a loved one in a nursing home, you expect that she will be taken care of as though she was a member of the staff’s own family.”
• “Do not worry about interrupting someone’s sleep. You would want to be awakened if the situation was reversed.”
• “For a person to experience long-term results, it is important that he continues the exercise program developed by his physical therapist.”
• “As if a divorce wasn’t stressful enough, you now need to decide what to do about the joint business you own.”

Perhaps none of those examples made you wince, but there are no nuggets of gold there. However, look at a few other examples in which the subjunctive is used correctly, and the gold shines through:

• “But what if your home—the place where you live with your family and the place that provides you with financial security—were literally rotting?”
• “If you were going to jump out of a plane, you’d need more than a parachute: you need someone to tell you when to jump, when to pull the cord, how to land, and how to handle countless other little details that can make the difference between life and death.”
• “While you could still technically file a case, the nursing home attorneys would quickly file a motion with the court claiming that the statute of limitations had expired and asking that the lawsuit be dismissed.”
• “What if there were a drug that could help you with your morning sickness—a drug that could ease your nausea and help you get through the day?”

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