By Subjunctives, Past tenses

Hena wrote:I know might is less stronger than may; can we also say "could" is less probable than "might" ?The difference between "could" and "might" is that "could" can form an indicative, standalone, simple past tense of the present tense form "can" whereas the standalone "might" forms the...

Believer wrote:Side question: A lot of dictionaries seem to indicate that the word 'subjunctive' is usually precede with the article 'the', but lately I seem to see cases where it is made plural or it with 'a' in front of it (like 'a subjunctive'). Are they correct? are ...

---------- After a past indicative tense form the distinction of meaning between present and past tense forms usually disappears entirely: She desired that he might come at once. We demanded that the burden should be removed. In recent literature and present colloquial usage,...

You make of confusion, which is made by many, of linking the mood used (subjunctive or indicative) to the form of the verb, not to the meaning of the sentence. As your sentence indicates unreality, it is in the subjunctive mood (informal speech, I'd say). Unfortunately, only few grammars...

Your sentences are not very good English as they contain grammatical mistakes. If I understand you right, you are asking whether need not + infinitive is a subjunctive. No, it isn't. Need in the present tense can be made negative in two ways:1. He need not go there.2. He doesn't need/have to go...

Kooyeen, you defined what are the issues here! It's very helpful!He looked at me as if I was crazy. (simple past tense. Maybe "were" is ok too here, but I don't like it)He looked at me as if I had been crazy. (this is not subjunctive, this is real past perfect. If you used this, you would be...

Teleostomi wrote:Hi native speakers of English, could you tell me whether my "hypothesis" is right or not?My hypothesis: the subjunctive usage of "as if" takes effect only if the main verb is in the present tense.Hi Teleostomi,I'm not a native speaker, but here's my opinion. I think you are...

Anonymous wrote:I know that I can use the past tense for the unreal idea like the next sentence. (1)He talks as if he knew everything. But what if it's about the past unreal idea? Can I use had +past participle like the second sentence? (2)They looked as if they were made a hundred years...

MrPedantic wrote:7. He looked at me as if I was crazy. #7 implies a backshifted version of "He's looking at me as if I'm crazy", and is my own preference, as I don't much like the past subjunctive with a closed condition. But it does slightly evade the problem; unless you take "as if I was"...

Teleostomi wrote:But why isn't the sentence done with "agreement of tense"?He looks at me as if I were crazy. -->( He looked at me as if I was / were crazy.You are not crazy. That's why you've to use a simple past tense verb.I wish I were a king. I am not a king and I can't possibly be....