By Subjunctives, Past tenses

Believer wrote: Hi, I was looking at the us.geocities.com website for its excellent help on subjunctive and have a question in regard to one set of sentences I found in the section called "The Past Tense." 1. Peter said, "I lost my keys in the train yesterday" 2. Peter said that he had lost...

Hi, I was looking at the us.geocities.com website for its excellent help on subjunctive and have a question in regard to one set of sentences I found in the section called "The Past Tense." 1. Peter said, "I lost my keys in the train yesterday" Peter said that he had lost his keys in the...

Welcome to English Forums! You could also use the word "much". (If you used the word "much",) I wouldn't notice a difference in meaning. The use of "would" almost invariably suggests a condition, whether the condition is stated explicitly or not. The clause with "would" is the...

Let's go back to the original sentence: 1. He thought his mother would understand why he was living in Japan only if she saw his life there with her own eyes. If we take this as a literal report, there are two possible "originals": 2. "My mother will understand why I am living in Japan...

Yankee wrote:Hi TakaIn case you haven't found this yet, here is a link to what the American Heritage Book of English Usage has to say about the subjunctive:http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/061.htmlGood, Yankee. Thanks for the URL. And I was particularly interested in these parts.First, this part:...

Kathy456 wrote:Hi everybody, I know that the following are the correct ways to express our preferences (by using subjunctive):- 1. I'd rather you stayed home. (use of simple past tense after "would rather" for future actions) 2. I'd rather you hadn't gone to the party (use of past perfect...

Hi everybody, I know that the following are the correct ways to express our preferences (by using subjunctive):- 1. I'd rather you stayed home. (use of simple past tense after "would rather" for future actions) 2. I'd rather you hadn't gone to the party (use of past perfect tense after "would...

AmE Several verbs (suggest, recommend, ask, etc) require the subjunctive after them: I suggested she go to the library. BrE The subjunctive is avoided in such constructions, and the should + infinitive is used: I suggested she should go to the library. or ordinary present and past...

Believer wrote:Hi, CoolBreeze. Can you tell me more in detail whether the sentences you used are in the subjunctive? They don't look to be in the subjunctive mood. He speaks as if/as though he knew about it. -- looks like a normal sentence with the underlind verg in the past tense and doesn't...

Hi LiJ, He often behaves as if he were a famous actor.-----This is a subjunctive form which means though he is not a famous actor he just pretends or behaves so. He behaved as if he had been a famaus acotr famous actor..　----- This is a sunjunctive form too which means though...