The second sentence, using the subjunctive mood, is the more traditional and more formal, but the first sentence, using the indicative mood, is fast overtaking the subjunctive and is now acceptable in less formal situations.

1. I don't understand your question. Please give an example or two of the kind of sentences you have in mind. I can't think of a single case in which is and being at the beginning of a sentence are interchangeable - if that is what you

I wish I WERE doing that = subjunctive = only a wish; I wish I WAS doing that = everyday conversational English used by many (most?) native speakers nowadays. Since you are a language learner, it would be helpful to use the "correct"

From Wikipedia: "In grammar, the subjunctive mood is a verb mood typically used in dependent clauses to express wishes, commands, emotion, possibility, judgment, opinion, necessity, or statements that are contrary to fact at present... The

were It's an example of the subjunctive used in a situation that is contrary to fact.

B) what will his life have been if he were not lured into that last, fateful voyage Present-posterior (will be) doesn't make any sense with past-neutral (note 'last' in that if clause). "If he were not lured into that last,

Why is the subjunctive mood is not applicable for this sentence? It is applicable, but were after if is not the only case of subjunctive. had been lured is also subjunctive. All past perfect tenses double as past subjunctives. You can consider a

Because the tenses in B don't make sense. What will his life be? He's dead, nothing will happen, so "will" is not ok here.

The brother of the Titanic's captain asked after the sinking: what should his life have been if he had not been lured into that last, fateful voyage A) what should his life have been if he had not been lured into that last, fateful

In Bryan A. Garner's "Dictionary of Modern American Usage", the set phrase "suffice it to say" is explained to be the subjunctive form of the indicative "it suffices to say". The article on the subjunctive mood in