My little sister graduated from high school in May, but she had been nagging me to buy her a brand new car for her grad gift since January. So when she approached me with this idea, I asked her if she were planning to work to contribute her share. She said no. Hm.. I asked her why she needed a car to which she replied, "I don't want to catch the bus to school." Laziness...How are you going to pay for your tuition? I asked. Dad is what she said.
She didn't give me a good enough answers to warrant me getting that car for her. I denied her request with an advice. I told her that had she first explained to me why she needed a car per good reason and impressed on me a flash of willingness to work to contribute to this car (sense of responsibility) before finally asking for it, I would probably have considered it much more. So she did it. To our parents. She got her car, but she still hasn't tried to get a job.
As I said in class, there is a wonderful example of the subjunctive mood in Jude's post:
ReplyDeleteSo when she approached me with this idea, I asked her if she were planning to work to contribute her share.
Remember that the subjunctive expresses something wished for, imagined. Another example:
If I were Santa Claus, I'd give everyone books at Christmas.
The subjunctive is on grammar's endangered species list, so try to keep it alive by using it :)
The Keables Guide (see link in the right-hand column of this page) has a good explanation of the subjunctive verb:
ReplyDeleteUse the subjunctive mood for wishes and conditions contrary to fact:
WRONG: If I was rich, I wouldn't be here.
RIGHT: If I were rich, I wouldn't be here.
WRONG: I wish she was here.
RIGHT: I wish she were here.
WRONG: I recommend that he leaves.
RIGHT: I recommend that he leave.
WRONG: I move that the meeting is adjourned.
RIGHT: I move that the meeting be adjourned.
Grammar Tips: Verbs have three moods:
INDICATIVE (STATEMENTS OF FACT): I shut the door.
IMPERATIVE (COMMANDS): Shut the door.
SUBJUNCTIVE: I wish I had shut the door.
People seldom use the subjunctive mood nowadays except in three situations:
(1) if clauses expressing conditions contrary to fact;
(2) that clauses following verbs like wish, ask, recommend and urge;
(3) a few familiar expressions ("be that as it may"; "to whom it may concern").