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The Subjunctive Mood

The Subjunctive Mood. TAM, Ruxandra Visan. Subjunctive// Modal Verbs. Semantically, the subjunctive mood is closely related to the modal auxiliaries

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The Subjunctive Mood

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  1. The Subjunctive Mood TAM, RuxandraVisan

  2. Subjunctive// Modal Verbs • Semantically, the subjunctive mood is closely related to the modal auxiliaries • Just like some modal auxiliaries, the subjunctive in English can be used to express obligation or necessity (he demands that the evidence be/must be/should be demolished). In if-clauses it can express ‘irrealis’, similar to the use of such modals as could and might. (Leech 51)

  3. Subjunctive versus indicative • Assertions inform the hearer about a portion of reality they are assumed to have no knowledge about. They are used informatively (INDICATIVE MOOD) • Non-assertions do not belong to informative use of language but to the prescriptive use. Prescriptive language is concerned with getting someone act in a certain way (IMPERATIVE MOOD,SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD) (Stefanescu 499)

  4. Subjunctive versus indicative • The indicative is factual. It is present in statements that provide a true or false representation of the world. • The subjunctive mood is non-factual, theoretical, potential, commending certain states of affairs or viewing them as uncertain.

  5. Uses of the subjunctive • The subjunctive as an irrealis mood. • Subjunctive (irrealis)/ Indicative (realis) • Hypothetical/Potential/Counterfactual • Mandative/Hortatory/Jussive/Formulaic • The English subjunctive versus the Romanian conjunctiv.

  6. The demise of the subjunctive in English • Towards the end of the twentieth century, Givon 1992 points out that ‘the old grammatical category of subjunctive has almost disappeared’ • In English, the subjunctive is vestigial. Few subjunctive forms survive. There are however several ways of expressing the subjunctive meaning, apart from the subjunctive forms themselves.

  7. Paradigmatic poverty of the subjunctive • a. When he called again, demanding that she sing him his favourite song, • b. Both cases demand that people as individuals . . . be judged fit . . . • a. If the truth be told, . . . • b. If this argument be right, . . . • a. The oriental girl wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, but • delicately, as if this were the proper thing to do, . . . [F-LOB N] • b. And if I weren’t such a workaholic, . . ., I wonder what eventually • might have happened.

  8. Surviving forms of the subjunctive in English • Present subjunctive (identical with the infinitive) • I demand that everyone come and fulfil their obligations. • Past subjunctive (the form were) • If I were you, I would listen to him.

  9. The Present Subjunctive (1)The formulaic subjunctive • Come what may, we will go ahead with our plan. • God bless you! • Heaven forbid I should let my own parents suffer. • Long live the Queen!

  10. Synthetic forms/ Analytic formsInflectional forms/ Periphrastic forms • Job’s book versus The book of Job. • Higher versus more interesting • provide versus should provide

  11. Analytic/Periphrastic modal-based means of expressing a formulaic means • Compare: • Long live the Queen! • May you live a thousand years! • May they be happy! • Let them be happy!

  12. The Present Subjunctive (2)The Mandative Subjunctive • Gilbert insisted that we provide coffee for all the people. ( synthetic form, present subjunctive) • Gilbert insisted that we should provide coffee for all the people. (analytic form, modal-based mandative).

  13. Present subjunctive (inflectional) versus mandative analytic/perphrastic modal-based forms Present in that clauses in mandative contexts after verbs/phrases such as ask, demand, forbid, order, plead, recommend, suggest, propose, supplicate, urge, want, wish, hope, desire, insist, it is essential, it is mandatory, etc. He commanded that they all come here at once. He commanded that they should come here at once. We recommend that they talk to you. We recommend that they shouldtalk to you.

  14. Periphrastic/Analytic modal-based forms with a subjunctive meaning • That-clauses after emotive verbs • I am surprised that John should have done it. • It is likely that John should have done it. • John feared that I should to it.

  15. Past Subjunctive • Adverbial clauses of condition, unreal/hypothetical • If I were you, I wouldn’t believe him. Compare If I was you, I wouldn’t believe him.

  16. Preterite remoteness (past/past perfective) in unreal, hypothetical, counterfactual adverbial clauses (subjunctive meaning) • Conditional 1 (Real = Indicative) • If I do it, I will win. • Conditional 2 (Unreal= Preterite/Subjunctive meaning) • If I did it, I would win. • Conditional 3 (Counterfactual= Perfect Preterite, Subjunctive meaning) • If I had done it, I would have won.

  17. Optionality of hypothetical past/past perfective after certain constructions (subjunctive meaning) Suppose I told them the truth. I’d rather we had dinner now. He acts as though he knew you.

  18. Obligativity of hypothetical past/past perfective after certain constructions (subjunctive meaning) • It’s time we went to bed. • I wish this bus went to the university. • If only I had listened to my parents.

  19. Synthetic/Analytic means: if, whether, provided that, on condition that, unless, supposing that (subjunctive meaning) • Compare: • If I did it, I would win. ( synthetic/inflectional form) • If I should do it, I would win. ( analytic/periphrastic, modal-based form).

  20. Other hypothetical contexts (subjunctive meaning) (I) • As if, as though • Compare • He talks as if you are dead. • He talks as ifhewere dead. • He talks as if hewas dead.

  21. Other hypothetical contexts (subjunctive meaning) (II) • Compare: • I wish you were here/I wish you was here. • I wish you had been here. • I wish you did what I asked of you. • I wish would do what I asked of you.

  22. Other hypothetical contexts (subjunctive meaning) (III) Concessive clauses: even if, even though Even though he were present, I wouldn’t change my mind. • Compare: • It would be cheap to me, whatever it costnow • It would be cheap to me, whatever it may cost now.

  23. The case of would rather versus had better I’d rather cycle. I’d rather you cycle. I’d rather you cycled. They’d better come. *They’d better you come. * They’d better you came.

  24. Periphrastic/Analytic modal-based forms with a subjunctive meaning • Adverbial clauses of purpose: so that, in order that, for fear that, lest • I came here so that you would/might/could/should talk to me.

  25. The non-deictic nature of sentences with a subjunctive meaning • If you do this, I willkill you! (assertion). • If you did this I wouldkill you! (hypothetical sentence). • If you had done this, I would have killed you (counterfactual sentence). • Turn all three clauses into reported speech: • Sue said that….

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