Chapter We've all heard the term 'in a mood', but have you heard about 'grammatical mood'

Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features for Subjunctive Mood

StudySmarter's FREE web and mobile app
Get Started Now

Subjunctive Mood

In this article, we will talk about a grammatical mood called the 'subjunctive mood'.

Subjunctive mood meaning

The subjunctive mood expresses a wish, obligation, possibility, or suggestion. It usually refers to a hypothetical situation that has not yet happened and is not guaranteed to happen.
The subjunctive mood is more common in formal situations. However, it is on the decline, becoming less and less common in English and many other languages.

Sign up for free to unlock all images and more.

UNLOCK NOW
Fig. 1 - The subjunctive mood expresses hypothetical situations.

Create and find the best flashcards for Subjunctive Mood

StudySmarter's FREE web and mobile app
Get Started Now

Subjunctive Mood Examples

Let's look at a few examples of the subjunctive mood in a sentence:
'John wishes he were rich and famous' (expressing a wish)
'It's important that you all be here tomorrow' (expressing an obligation)
'If I work hard I could go to Thailand in summer' (expressing a possibility)
'It is recommended that she go to the dentist this week' (expressing a suggestion)
All of these examples express a hypothetical situation that has not yet occurred. They, therefore, use the subjunctive mood and we can recognise this from the use of certain verb forms.
The subjunctive mood can also be used to explore conditionals. For example:
If I were rich, I would end world hunger.
If I were really tall, I'd be able to reach the top shelf.
The subjunctive mood and conditional mood have a similar form and can be used in very similar ways. The main difference between the two is that conditional mood is used more for real-life conditions e.g. if it rains, I will go home, whereas subjunctive is for used more unrealistic conditions e.g. if I were famous, I'd live in Hollywood.