The subjunctive
The subjunctive is a verbal mood used to express wishes, suggestions, hypotheses, needs and unreal situations.
- When to use the subjunctive:
Wishes or requests – We use the subjunctive after expressions of wish, request, suggestion or need. Example:
I wish he were here. (I wish he was here.)
Here, were is the verb in the subjunctive, even with the subject in the singular.
t’s important that she be on time. (It’s important that she arrives on time.)
In this case, be is the subjunctive, which we use after important.
- Hypotheses or unreal situations – The subjunctive is also used to express hypothetical situations, usually in the past. Example:
If I were you, I would talk to him.
- Formal expressions – After expressions like suggest, recommend, insist, we use the subjunctive in the following sentence. Example:
The doctor recommended that he take the medicine.
(The doctor recommended that he take the medicine.)
- Subjunctive forms:
The subjunctive in English is simpler than in Portuguese. For most verbs, we use the base form of the verb (without -s or -ed).
I suggest that she go to the doctor. (I suggest that she go to the doctor.)
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