The English language has many ways to express ideas, emotions, and situations. One of these ways is through the subjunctive mood.

What is the Subjunctive Mood?

The subjunctive mood is used to express things that are not necessarily real like wishes, hopes, or possibilities.

In this blog, we’ll explore how the subjunctive mood works in four specific situations: wishes, exhortations (urging or encouraging), concessions (acknowledging something that may be contrary), and conditions (situations that depend on something else happening).

The Subjunctive in Wishes

When we wish for something, we’re often talking about something that isn’t true (at this moment), or something we hope will happen. The subjunctive mood helps us express these wishes.

♥ I wish that…
♥ If only…

Examples:

♦ I wish that I were taller. (Even though I’m not taller, I wish I were.)
♦ If only he were here. (He isn’t here, but I wish he were.)

Notice that we use ‘were‘ instead of ‘was‘ when talking about wishes, even if we’re talking about something in the past or present. This is a key feature of the subjunctive mood.

You can express wishes about the past, present, or future.

♦ Example: I wish that I had studied more. (past)
♦ Example: I wish that tomorrow were a holiday. (future).

Wishes are often introduced with ‘may‘ or ‘would‘.

♦ Example: May you never want!
♦ Example: Would that he were safe!

The Subjunctive in Exhortations

Exhortations are when you encourage, advise, or urge someone to do something. We use the subjunctive mood to make these statements sound more important.

♥ Let us…
♥ It is important that…

♦ Example: Let us be brave in the face of adversity. (We should be brave, even if it’s tough.)
♦ Example: It is important that she stay focused. (She should stay focused; it’s crucial.)

The subjunctive is used to make the exhortation more urgent or important. For example, ‘It is necessary that he be on time,’ is stronger than just saying ‘He needs to be on time.’

Sometimes, the difference between the indicative (normal) mood and the subjunctive mood can be subtle, but the subjunctive often sounds more formal or serious.

Related Reading: Exploring Adverbs: Types, Examples, and Uses 

The Subjunctive in Concessions

Concessions are when you admit or acknowledge something, often something that might be opposite to what you’re arguing. The subjunctive is used to express these situations.

♥ Though it be…
♥ Even if…

♦ Example: Though it be difficult, we shall succeed. (Even though it might be difficult, we believe we will succeed.)
♦ Example: Even if he were wrong, we should support him. (He might not be wrong, but even if he were, we would still support him.)

The subjunctive in concessions helps to show that you’re considering something unlikely or hypothetical.

Tone is important in these statements. The subjunctive often adds a layer of meaning, showing that you are considering all possibilities, even unlikely ones.

The Subjunctive in Conditions

Conditional sentences are those that describe situations where one thing depends on another. We often use the subjunctive mood in conditions that are hypothetical or contrary to reality.

♥ If I were…
♥ Were he to…

♦ Example: If I were you, I would reconsider. (But I’m not you, so this is just advice.)
♦ Example: Were he to apologize, things might change. (He hasn’t apologized, but if he did, the situation could be different.)

Use the subjunctive when talking about conditions that aren’t real or are just possibilities. For example, you might say, ‘If I were rich, I would travel the world.’ (I’m not rich, but I’m imagining what I would do if I were.)

In English, we usually use the past tense in these conditional sentences, even when talking about something that could happen in the future.

Using Concessions and Conditions

There are some rules to follow with concessions and conditions.

Possibilities

The subjunctive mood is used after words like ‘though‘ or ‘although‘ when you want to admit something as a possibility, but not as a definite fact. 

♦ Example: Though he might hurt me, I will still trust him.
♦ Example: Although he asked to go on the field trip, I should still refuse.

Related Reading: Unlocking the Power of Nouns in Writing

Definite Fact

When the concession is stated as a fact, the indicative is regular.

♦ Example: Although it is raining, we are still going to the park.
♦ Example: Though she is tired, she continues to work hard.

‘If’ and ‘Unless’

We can use the subjunctive mood in various ways after the words ‘if‘ and ‘unless,’ which show conditions.

1. If this turns out to be gold, our future is set. (We’re not sure if it’s gold or not.)
2. If he confesses, I will overlook the theft. (He might or might not confess.)
3. Unless he confesses, he won’t be convicted. (He might or might not confess.)
4. If this were gold, we would be rich. (It isn’t gold, so our fortune isn’t made.)
5. If he were standing in front of me right now, I would tell him my opinion. (He isn’t here, so I don’t tell him.)
6. If he had confessed, I would have overlooked his mistake. (He didn’t confess, so I didn’t overlook it.)
7. Unless he had confessed, he could not have been convicted. (He did confess, so he was convicted.)

The present subjunctive (examples 1–3) is used to talk about something that might happen now or in the future. It suggests that the situation is uncertain, but not necessarily unlikely.

The past subjunctive (examples 4 and 5) is used to talk about the present. It implies that the situation is not actually happening.

The past perfect subjunctive (examples 6 and 7) is used to talk about the past. It implies that the situation didn’t happen.

Without ‘Though’ and ‘If’

We can express concessions (admitting something) or conditions (something depending on something else) using the subjunctive mood without using ‘though‘ or ‘if.’ In these cases, the verb comes before the subject, and sometimes the subject is left out.

Concession

Examples:

♦ No matter how hard we try, we cannot swim to that rock.
♦ No matter what he says, he can never convince me.
♦ Whatever happens, I’ll stand my ground.
♦ Even if that’s true, my mind is made up.

Condition

Examples:

♦ If I were asked, I could tell all the facts.
♦ If I had known, I would have written to you.
♦ I will be twenty years old when Tuesday comes.
♦ I will go, whether it rains or shines.
♦ Whether he is a prince or a pauper, every guest is welcome here.

Note: The subjunctive in these concession and condition examples is similar to the one used in commands or encouragements. For example, ‘Try as we may‘ literally means ‘Let us try as hard as we can,’ which has the same meaning as ‘No matter how hard we try‘ or ‘Although we try very hard.’

After ‘As If’ or ‘As Though’

When using ‘as if’ or ‘as though,’ we use the past subjunctive form.

♦ Example: He looks as if he were about to speak. (Not: ‘as if he was about to speak.’)
♦ Example:I act as if I were insane. (Not: ‘as if I was insane.’)

The subjunctive mood shows what might be true or what could have been true, not what actually is or was.

♦ Example: It were safer to travel by day. (This means: ‘It would be safer to travel by day.’)
♦ Example: I had been wiser had I avoided the river. (This means: ‘I would have been wiser if I had avoided the river.’)

This way of speaking is old-fashioned. In modern English, we usually say ‘would be‘ or ‘should have been‘ instead.

Purpose or Expectation Clauses

Sometimes, we use the subjunctive after words like ‘that,’ ‘before,’ ‘until,’ etc., in sentences that refer to the future and show purpose or expectation.

Examples:

♦ Make sure that there is no escape. (This means: ‘Make sure he doesn’t escape.’)
♦ Feed him before he starves. (This means: ‘Give him food so that he doesn’t die.’)
♦ Let’s wait until he comes. (This means: ‘Let’s wait until he arrives.’)

This way of speaking is mostly common in poetry or formal language. In everyday speech, we usually use the regular verb form or say ‘may‘ instead.

Using ‘Had’ in Common Phrases

The phrase ‘had‘ is often used in expressions like ‘had rather‘ and similar ones.

♦ Example: I had rather wait a day. (I prefer to wait a day.)
♦ Example: You had better leave the room. (It’s best if you leave the room.)

Note: Some people criticize using ‘had’ in these expressions as incorrect or awkward, but it’s a well-established way of speaking.
You can use phrases like ‘might better,’ ‘would better,’ and ‘would rather‘ instead of ‘had better,’ but using ‘would better‘ with ‘I‘ or ‘we‘ is not correct.

Related Reading: Understanding Verbs: The Action Words of Language

Replacing Subjunctive Forms with Common Phrases

Often, instead of using the subjunctive, we use phrases with ‘may,’ ‘might,’ ‘could,’ ‘would,’ or ‘should.’

In Wishes

Examples:

♦ May you live long and prosper!
♦ May you never regret this action!
♦ Ah, if only I could live a hundred years!

In Concessions and Conditions

♦ Example: Even if {I | you | he} should fail, there would still be hope.
♦ Example: If {I | you | he} should fail, everything would be lost.

In Sentences Expressing What Could or Would Happen

♦ Example: {I should | You would | He would} write to Charles if I knew his address.
♦ Example: It would have been better to send a telegram.

In Sentences Expressing What Could or Would Happen

Examples:

♦ I will make sure that nothing will prevent it.
♦ I made sure that nothing {might | should} prevent it.
♦ The general waited until fresh troops should arrive.

Key Takeaways

Wishes
1. Use ‘were‘ instead of ‘was‘ when expressing wishes about something contrary to fact.
2. Use ‘would‘ in wishes to indicate what you desire someone else to do.
3. Use ‘could‘ in wishes to express a longing for something that is difficult or impossible.
4. Avoid using ‘if‘ in simple wishes; instead, use ‘I wish‘ directly

Exhortations
1. Use ‘let us‘ for exhortations when you want to encourage or urge a group action
2. When using ‘let us,’ the verb should be in its base form
3. In more formal exhortations, you can omit ‘let us‘ and start directly with the verb in the subjunctive mood
4. Use ‘let’s not‘ to discourage or advise against an action .

Concessions
1. Use ‘though‘ or ‘although‘ to introduce a concession that implies a contrast or an unexpected result
2. Use the subjunctive to show uncertainty or something contrary to fact
3. When stating a concession as fact, use the indicative mood
4. Use ‘even if‘ to introduce a hypothetical concession

Conditions
1. Use ‘if’ with the past subjunctive to talk about present or future hypotheticals
2. Use ‘if‘ with the past perfect subjunctive to talk about past hypotheticals
3. When expressing unlikely or impossible conditions, use ‘were‘ with ‘if‘
4. Use ‘unless‘ to introduce a negative condition where the subjunctive may be used

Last Words on the Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood might seem tricky at first, but it’s a powerful tool for expressing wishes, exhortations, concessions, and conditions. By using the subjunctive, it helps you talk about things that aren’t really real but are still important.

Happy writing!

Linda

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