pructus  +  556404 Tue, 19 Aug 08 06:55 AM   Following is from “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”. The situation is that Harry Potter failed in the Quidditch game for the first time.     Harry put his face to his knees, his hands gripping his hair. Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.   ‘C’mon, Harry, you’ve never missed the Snitch before.’   ‘There had to be one time you didn’t get it.’ said George.   **   “There had to be” .. Is it simple past tense as an indicative or is it a present tense as a subjunctive?         pructus Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 Full Member 429 Tenses, Present Tenses, Simple Past, Subjunctives, Past Tenses

	Avangi  +  556418 Tue, 19 Aug 08 07:53 AM May we have a few more choices? Avangi Joined on Mon, Nov 19 2007 Veteran Member 8,207 ". . . le plaisir delicieux et toujours nouveau d'une occupation inutile." - Henri de Regnier

	CalifJim  +  556421 Tue, 19 Aug 08 07:57 AM pructus ““There had to be” .. Is it simple past tense as an indicative or is it a present tense as a subjunctive?” My subjunctive scouts have returned empty-handed.  Consider that a true subjunctive in a main clause is not found in English, certainly not the past subjunctive.  It's the simple past indicative tense. CJ  CalifJim Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004 California Veteran Member 22,463 "There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche Tenses, Clauses, Present Tenses, Simple Past, Subjunctives, Past Tenses

	pructus  +  556428 Tue, 19 Aug 08 08:14 AM Thanks... I see.. Then, understanding it as a past tense subjunctive referring to the present, like, "You could be right.",  meaning "There should be one time that you do not get it." is impossible?   Watching dramas or movies in English, when a friend tries to give a high-price gift, then her friend says, “I couldn’t take” or “I couldn’t”.   Also, “Could you be more queer?” is meaning that the listener is(not was) very queer….   Here, in these two cases, “could” definitely is referring to the present situation, so it is understood as a subjunctive, not simple indicative.   Therefore, I assumed this paragraph from Harry Potter could also be a subjunctive……     pructus Tenses, Subjunctives, Past Tenses, Paragraphs

	CalifJim  +  556434 Tue, 19 Aug 08 08:23 AM pructus “a past tense subjunctive referring to the present, like, "You could be right."” This is a modal construction (could), not a subjunctive. Here's a subjunctive (underlined):  It is important that you be right.  I'm not sure what you're asking, I guess. CJ  CalifJim Constructions, Tenses, Modals, Subjunctives, Past Tenses

	CalifJim  +  556436 Tue, 19 Aug 08 08:27 AM  ‘There had to be one time you didn’t get it.’ = It was inevitable that you would not get it on some occasion. CJ  CalifJim

	pructus  +  556441 Tue, 19 Aug 08 08:49 AM Thanks.. If someone says that modals can also be understood as a kind of subjunctive, what would you say? pructus Modals, Subjunctives