By Difference between, Subjunctives

If both of them are correct, is there a difference between the two? Thanks. Candy

Thanks Clive, you're right I should've written "was"; I didn't mean to use a subjunctive. So according to you there isn't much difference between "be to + present infinitive" and "be to + perfect infinitive", both mean that the obligation was not fulfilled? Would you please give me more...

I am not a grammar expert, but for additional rules regarding the subjucntive verb usage, you can go to http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/061.html 1. "It smells as if someone has been smoking in here." ( I think maybe someone has been smoking) Correct 2. "Do you hear that music? It...

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...

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...

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,...

I have come across this difference between the tags: Use 'will you' if the sentence is an imperative (telling someone to do something). Use 'won't you' if the sentence is a suggestion.

Hellow Zewu I'm an English learner from Japan. I am afraid I don't know much about English enough to answer such questions as those you are asking. But allow me to put my two cents worth. First of all, let me define some grammatical terms. In English, people usually say 'subjunctive mood' for...

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...

Hello Jim CalifJim wrote: Do we mean the difference between if that truly means if and if that means since or given that?Hypothetical if and indicative if, respectively? That's a useful distinction. Moreover, #1 above could (a little stiffly) take a present subjunctive in the IF clause ('if...