subjunctive mood

Usage notes

Subjunctive mood is used much more in some other languages, such as Spanish and Latin, than it is in English. Apart from the third-person singular form without the suffix -(e)s (I want that he go), modern English has only one verb that has mutually distinguishable indicative and subjunctive forms — be.

• be (subjunctive present, all persons except for archaic second-person singular)

I suggest that that measure be taken.

• beest (archaic second-person singular, subjunctive present)

Stephano!—If thou beest Stephano, touch me, and speak to me; for I am Trinculo:—be not afeared—thy good friend Trinculo. --

1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals):

• wert (archaic second-person singular, subjunctive past)

If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, ... -- 1611, The Bible, Job 8:6 (King James (Authorised) Version)

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. -- 1611, The Bible, Revelation 3:15 (King James (Authorised) Version)

• were (first- and third-person singular, subjunctive past)

If John were here, he would know what to do.

See also the conjugation at be.

Synonyms

• conjunctive, conjunctive mode, conjunctive mood
• subjunctive, subjunctive mode

Translations