By Subjunctives, Universities

I think you have encountered a grammar "expert" who has very strong opinions about correct usage and little understanding of anything or anyone who disagrees with him. I once met a British teacher of English, an Oxford University graduate, who thought this is the only way to do it...

Well, I have two thoughts, neither of which relate to being deaf. You're at an engineering school. I don't know of very many engineers who value their writing skills - a few, to be sure, but not many. As an alum of that other engineering school in upstate New York with and R and and I in...

Hi Bokeh, Becasue of your reply, it made me take a second look at the original question. I also did some research and found this paper written on the subject of Semantic Composition of Subjunctive Conditionals by Michela Ippolito of MIT/Tübingen University. I am not completely sure if I...

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...

Hi BelieverWere is a subjunctive in your sentences. This is probably the most common mood of the verb after as if and as though:He speaks as if / as though he knew all about it.He spoke as if / as though he had known all about it.However, it is possible to say:You look as if / as though you are...

It is time you shift uses the subjunctive shift, as with require/demand verbs: It is required that you shift which has the (mainly) BrE equivalent of It is required that you should shift (see Swan, Practical English Usage, Subjunctive, Should) I think your version could be also valid,...

Anonymous wrote:Hello.I came across a couple of sites, and I was wondering if you could verify the authenticity of their contents. http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar/IF8.cfmhttp://www.englishpage.com/conditional/mixedconditional.html The pages look ok. The first site should mention that the...

Hi everyone, I know that questions about the subjunctive have been asked a bizillion times, and I thought I had understood it but I always manage somehow to read something and get confused again!! I know that there are a lot of posts about the subject and I have looked at them carefully but I...

Hey Dex 17, I'm so glad you told that 14 year old all of that. I was wanting to after reading that racist drivel. I couldn't agree more, intelligence is not really race specific as it is people specific, and even then it's touch and go. There is a reason why they dropped that system of testing...

There are no masterstrokes, just a lot of digging. Here's a start: Berk LM (1999). English syntax: from word to discourse (New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-512353-0), pages 149-150: Subjunctive Mood Like the term imperative, the term subjunctive refers to a particular...