In Subjunctives^x, Past tenses^x

Hela wrote Would you please explain this sturcture to me What does would that mean exactly and why does it need the subjunctive My mother would know what to do Oh would that she WERE here with us now I am also from Calif but I disagree with Jim This construction although not extremely common is...

To my understanding will and shall are used in future tense of course But would and should aren t only used in past tense Sometimes would is a polite way to give an ask question Would you like to have your dinner with me Would be applied to Subjunctive If Cluases If I were rich I would buy a Benz...

Hi CJThank you for the quick reply For what reason do you choose had been When I read if the chance had been small I tend to take it as a subjunctive for an unreal past state i e third conditional If it is so if the chance had been small would imply the speaker knows that the chance was in fact...

Mary Ansell has a chapter on the subjunctive mood at http www fortunecity com bally durrus 153 gramch09 html One of the complications in using the subjunctive is the fact that besides hypothetical condition clauses which require the subjunctive there are factual condition clauses that do not The...

Hi everyone I ve got a problem My grammar book would say They are looking at me as if I were mad I know I could use like instead of as if in informal situations and I could also use was instead of were informal again but I m confused about present tense usage where you should use the subjunctive...

MrPedantic wrote Anonymous wrote 2 I think of it as a past subjunctive but I wouldn t refer to it as such because the next question would be how can I distinguish the past subjunctive from the simple past if they look the same It seems safer to say that the past tense can be used for the remote...

Anonymous wrote 2 I think of it as a past subjunctive but I wouldn t refer to it as such because the next question would be how can I distinguish the past subjunctive from the simple past if they look the same It seems safer to say that the past tense can be used for the remote or the unreal We...

2 I think of it as a past subjunctive but I wouldn t refer to it as such because the next question would be how can I distinguish the past subjunctive from the simple past if they look the same It seems safer to say that the past tense can be used for the remote or the unreal We distinguish it by...

Hello Jussive 1 Yes I d call it a type 2 Other types are also possible e g If only I had known type 3 Although it s true that the sentence I wish she would contact me I would be very happy lacks a conjunction I m not sure we can infer that If only she would contact me I would be very happy is...

Thanks for your reply MrP 1 I would call it an exclamatory conditional The main clause is left unspoken but we can usually infer it e g if only she would contact me I would be very happy Ok it s a conditional with an unexpressed result but still a conditional right In this case would you refer to...