What is the subjunctive mood? by Sir Doctor Suhail

Advance grammar

What is the subjunctive mood?

The subjunctive mood expresses an unreal situation. It expresses a possibility, a suggestion, a wish, something imaginary, or the way that you want something to be.

1. Use the subjunctive in a that-clause after verbs of suggestion or advice.

Her mom suggested that she get a job.

Her father demanded that she turn off the TV.

Her hairstylist recommended that she stop dying her hair.

We insist that he call us as soon as he gets home.

Verbs of advice or suggestion:

advise
ask
demand
insist
prefer
propose
recommend
request
suggest
urge

2. Use a special subjunctive form of the verb be after if in the second conditional sentence structure.

“If I were you, I would wear something else.”

3. Use a special subjunctive form of the verb be in that-clause after the verb wish.

“I wish I were a princess.“

There are two other situations where the subjunctive is used, but these are even rarer than the examples above:

4. Use the subjunctive in a that-clause after adjectives of importance in a specific sentence structure.

“It is crucial that he call me as soon as he gets home.”

Other adjectives of importance:

It is best (that)
It is crucial (that)
It is desirable (that)
It is essential (that)
It is imperative (that)
It is important (that)
It is recommended (that)
It is urgent (that)
It is vital (that)
It is necessary (that)

5. The subjunctive is also used in some fixed expressions.

so be it
be that as it may
as it were
God save the Queen
Long live the King
God bless America
Heaven forbid

What is the subjunctive form?

The subjunctive form is just the base form of a verb. The base form, or the bare infinitive, is the simplest form of a verb. It’s the way that you find a verb in the dictionary. Run. Play. Walk. Do. It’s the infinitive form of a verb without to.

To form the subjunctive, do not add an -s to the verb when you use the subjects he, she, or it. The subjunctive form does not change.

Also, the same base form is used in past, present and future situations. The verb does not change in the subjunctive.

In these sentences with the verb suggest, the verb in the that-clause is in the subjunctive. Note that the verb in the that-clause stays the same even though the tense of the verb suggest is different in each sentence:

He suggests that she study hard.

He suggested that she study hard.

He is going to suggest that she study hard.

More example sentences:

I suggested that he be Harry Potter for Halloween!

I insist that she stay at my house when she visits Toronto.

The boss proposed that he take a 3-week vacation.

Negative subjunctive form
Add not before the verb to make the subjunctive negative. Don’t use do.

I suggest that she not go out tonight.

We ask that she not call after 9pm.

We insisted that he not pay for anything.

The Subjunctive Mood
The Subjunctive mood is used in dependent clauses using the passive voice following main clauses expressing necessity, demand, request, urging, or resolution. It always involves the use of "be" where some other form of the verb "to be" would be used in the passive voice construction.
I demand the the question be answered (by him) in the sequence I taught.
Or in the active:
I demand that he answer the question in the sequence I taught. (not: that he answers the question)
Necessity:
It is necessary that these questions be answered at once.
It is necessary that he answer these questions at once.
You wouln't say:
It is necessary that these question are answered at once.
It is necessary that he answers these questions at once.
Demand:
I insist that I be allowed to present a minority report at the next board meeting.
You wouln't say:
In insist that I am allowed to present a minoirty report at the next board meeting.
Request:
They have asked that you be notified at once if matters do not proceed according to plan.
You wouln't say:
They have asked that you are notified at once if matters do not proceed according to plan.
The same is true for urging or resolution:
We urged that he be given a second chance to prove himsself.
The committee has resolved that the decision be deferred until the next meeting.

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So those are all uses that most native speakers have a natural feel for, but now it gets a little trickier.
When the main clause expresses a wish, you use the past tense of the verb to express the subjunctive mood:
I wish I knew how to proceed. Not: I wish I know how to proceed.
That's natural enough, but when you have a wish sentence in which the verb is a compound constructed with a form of to be, you always use 'were' to communicate a present-tense wish.
I wish I were going. Not: I wish I was going.
If you want to express a past-tense wish, use the past perfect form:
I wish she had invited me. Not: I wish she invited me
I wish they had hired you. Not: I wish they hired you.
If you want to express a future-tense wish, use would instead of will.
I wish he would arrive on time. Not: I wish he will arrive on time.

***

Then you have the if clauses that state highly improbable, doubtful, or contrary-to-fact conditions:
If I knew the answer (not know), I would not have asked you.
Contrast with:
When I know the answer, I will tell you.

Probable: If I leave this job (as I'm likely to do), I will go to Boston.
But:
Improbable: If I were [not was]to leave this job (which is unlikely), I would want you to come with me.
The point here is that the subjunctive form should only be used when its impossible or improbable.
Probable: If she was in yesterday (and she may have been), I did not see her.
Improbable: If she had been in yesterday (she wasn't), I would have seen her.