There is no subjunctive mood in English. The so-called subjunctive in English is nowadays probably simply a conspiracy.
Do you agree?
Do you agree?
There is no subjunctive mood in English.
No. I ask that anyone who disagrees _keep_ quiet. "Keep" is subjunctive.
The subjunctive is still morphologically marked and used in some dialects of English. Mine is one of them.
Jamie,
People don't get beaten up for having certain accents, (well anymore) You just get funny looks when you go into pubs. Though you can still shoot a Scotsman with a longbow within the city walls of York after midnight.
<You sad Scot Damian. You people in the North have nothing to do but to whine about us English people.>
No, no guest the rest of us English hate your accent aswell!
So much so that we in Yorkshire have a "plan B", One day soon, You'll hear "On Ikla Moor baht ’at" being sung, getting quieter and quieter as we float off into the north sea.
Here's an artists rendition of how it will look.
People don't get beaten up for having certain accents, (well anymore) You just get funny looks when you go into pubs. Though you can still shoot a Scotsman with a longbow within the city walls of York after midnight.
<You sad Scot Damian. You people in the North have nothing to do but to whine about us English people.>
No, no guest the rest of us English hate your accent aswell!
So much so that we in Yorkshire have a "plan B", One day soon, You'll hear "On Ikla Moor baht ’at" being sung, getting quieter and quieter as we float off into the north sea.
Here's an artists rendition of how it will look.
>>The subjunctive is still morphologically marked and used in some dialects of English. Mine is one of them.<<
Ditto with mine as well. Actually, ditto with probably most North American English dialects across the board.
Ditto with mine as well. Actually, ditto with probably most North American English dialects across the board.
I credit its widespread use in NA to the languages of the Papist immigrants.
>>What about "If I were you"?<<
Yep, that's subjunctive alright; actually, the usage of "were" with "if" is probably *the* most frequent usage of the subjunctive in English dialects today.
Yep, that's subjunctive alright; actually, the usage of "were" with "if" is probably *the* most frequent usage of the subjunctive in English dialects today.
If I were you.
If that be the case.
The powers that be.
Whether it be A or B.
Be that as it may.
I prefer that she play here.
"I prefer that he read books" means "I want him to read books."
"I prefer that he reads books" means "He reads books, and I'm happy about that."
"If it were me" means that I'm speaking hypothetically.
"If it was me" means that I'm presuming something and then drawing a conclusion on that basis.
"If he were a bank robber, he'd be a crook."
"If he was the bank robber, we'll find his prints on the safe."
If that be the case.
The powers that be.
Whether it be A or B.
Be that as it may.
I prefer that she play here.
"I prefer that he read books" means "I want him to read books."
"I prefer that he reads books" means "He reads books, and I'm happy about that."
"If it were me" means that I'm speaking hypothetically.
"If it was me" means that I'm presuming something and then drawing a conclusion on that basis.
"If he were a bank robber, he'd be a crook."
"If he was the bank robber, we'll find his prints on the safe."
I doubt most native English speakers make all of those distinctions, particularly: "I prefer that he read books" vs "I prefer that he reads books". The other formulations are less ambiguous: "I want him to read books." and "He reads books, and I'm happy about that.".
Travis & Mxsmanic,
« Yep, that's subjunctive alright »
« If I were you.
If that be the case.
The powers that be.
Whether it be A or B.
Be that as it may.
I prefer that she play here. »
Je sais qu'on appelle ça du subjonctif en anglais. Mais j'avoue avoir du mal à ne pas le considérer comme du conditionnel.
« Yep, that's subjunctive alright »
« If I were you.
If that be the case.
The powers that be.
Whether it be A or B.
Be that as it may.
I prefer that she play here. »
Je sais qu'on appelle ça du subjonctif en anglais. Mais j'avoue avoir du mal à ne pas le considérer comme du conditionnel.