Brief contents of the course

The subjunctive mood expresses suppositional or desired activity. It has several types of meanings, according to which types of subjunctive are named, and several means of expression.

Meaning	Means of Expression
1.Possibility (action thought of as conditionally possible, or as purpose of another action, etc.)	(1) (he) come (no ending, no auxiliary) (2) should come (should for all persons) (3) may come (?)
2.Unreal condition, unrealized wish	came, had come (same as past or past perfect indicative), used in subordinate clauses
3.Consequence of unreal condition would come /would have come The 1^st type is known as “subjunctive 1” and is used with a certain list of verbs: sujesst, demand, recommend, insist etc. Also after some predicatives “it is + ajective”: it is necessory, The

The first type is known as subjunctive. It is used in that-clauses, when the main clause contains an expression of recommendation, resolution, demand (suggest, demand, recommend, insist, it is necessary, it is strange, it is advisable, etc).
- It is necessary that he should be informed of the rules. – It is necessary that he be informed of the rules.- Also it is used in the clauses of purpose after the conjunction “lest” – They covered the goods with canvas lest it (should) be damaged by rain.
The second type is known as “conditional”. It uses forms homonymous to Past Simple and Past Perfect. “Were” is used for all the persons instead of “was”. The forms have nothing to do with the time of the action, this action is only unreal condition. They express the degree of possibility of the action. It is used in conditional and concessive clauses and in subordinate clauses after verbs like “wish”. Instead of if-clause inversion can be used: Were I to see him tomorrow, I would ask him about it. – Had I seen him then, I would ask him about it.

The third type is called “modal subjunctive”. It uses in the main clauses analytical forms with modal verbs “would, might, could” + infinitive or perfect infinitive, it depends on the degree of possibility of the consequence of unreal condition. Those forms are different from the use of modal verbs in the indicative mood, because in the subjunctive the contracted forms can be used: If he did it, we’d know about it.

The fourth type can be called “formulaic subjunctive” it consists of the infinitive without “to”, but is only used in certain set expressions:

• 
  Come what may, we will go ahead.
  
• 
  God save the Queen!
  
• 
  Suffice it to say that …
  
• 
  Be that as it may …
  
• 
  Heaven forbid that …