The Subjunctive and Related Structures

The subjunctive is a grammatical mood associated with situations such as demands, recommendations, necessity, wishes, hypotheticals, and situations contrary to fact.

English has a relatively limited subjunctive system compared with many other languages, but it remains important in formal and advanced usage.

Mandative Subjunctive

The mandative subjunctive is particularly common in formal American English and also occurs in British and other varieties.

It uses the base form of the verb, even with a third-person singular subject:

It is essential that he be present.
The committee recommended that she apply immediately.
They insisted that he leave.

Compare ordinary agreement:

He is present.
She applies regularly.

After certain expressions of demand, recommendation, necessity, or importance, the subjunctive uses the base form.

Should Construction

British English frequently uses a should construction in similar contexts:

It is essential that he should be present.
They recommended that she should apply.

Both constructions can express essentially similar meanings, although their frequency varies by regional and stylistic context.

Were Subjunctive

The traditional irrealis use of were is another important subjunctive-like construction:

If I were you, I would reconsider.
I wish he were here.

Formulaic Subjunctive Expressions

Some formal or fixed expressions preserve subjunctive forms:

God bless you.
Long live the king.
So be it.

These expressions are relatively limited but demonstrate that the subjunctive has not disappeared completely from English.

Subjunctive vs Indicative

Compare:

I suggest that he go.

with:

I know that he goes there regularly.

The first expresses a recommendation and can use the subjunctive. The second reports a fact and uses the ordinary indicative form.

The subjunctive is therefore not simply a different tense. It is associated with mood and the speaker’s relationship to the proposition.