By Subjunctives, English grammar

Alienvoord wrote:Does English even have a past subjunctive? It was agreed six months ago that the house, come what may, was to be decorated inside and out before the end of June. "was" is identical in form to the simple past. So why do some people call it the past subjunctive?Hi...

D is the correct answer given in the exercise book where this question was derived. The question here is what attitude, state of mind or intent did the speaker want to convey? In the given sentence, if you think the speaker meant to express doubt about the success of the negotiation, then the...

The question here is what attitude, state of mind or intent did the speaker want to convey? In the given sentence, if you think the speaker meant to express doubt about the success of the negotiation, then the correct tense to use would be the past perfect to indicate an unreal situation in the...

Hello, I hope someone reads and helps me What are the differences between the two following sentences in meaning? Do they mean different things or is there a point where they semantically meet? Sometimes I find subjunctive constructions unbelievably complicated. In most cases, it is...

You, Danyoo, and English Grammar in Use are right. It's just that the subjunctive form is identical to the indicative in many cases. English is often ambiguous.

CalifJim wrote: I avoid answering ... You just did " src="../emoticons/emotion-2.gif">Avoid or answer? I tried responding to the phrasal verb thread and got into some technical difficulties. For some reason, it wouldn't let me post. And then I just forgot about it and never tried again as I...

When we talk about a subjunctive construction, I think it is easier to understand it without the 'inserted clause, I would think' becasue that way one can clearly see the cause-and-effect relationship beteween the conditional clause and the main clasue. 1. If someone tells you that you may...

They are the relics of the present subjunctive mood that was very commonly used under strict rules. In my opinion, the partial deterioration of the subjunctive mood is one of the factors that make the current English grammar somehow messy. If you are interested in it, please visit here. paco

Xavier wrote:I have read some lengthy posts giving very complicated explanations of usage, which don't always make a whole lot of sense. Isn't language primarily about communication. You say it; I understand it. Wasn't grammar an invention for non-native speakers of Ancient Greek? I assert the...

Hello MrPedantic, CalifJim! Modality & conditional are not my favorite subjects, but I hope I wouldn't bother your discussion if I add here a few words. (I beg your pardon in advance: I will ignore here completely the problem of subjunctive or other matters, peculiar to English...