Курсовая работа: The problems of the Subjunctive Mood in English

To sum up the whole discussion about categories of the verb found in conditional sentences, the simplest view, and the one to be preferred is that we have here forms of the indicative mood in a special use. Another view is that we have here forms of special moods, and that they are distinguished from each other according to the category of correlation.

2. The main cases of the use of The Subjunctive Mood in English

1. Simple sentences

In simple sentences the synthetic forms of the Subjunctive Mood are more frequent than the analytical forms.

In simple sentences the Subjunctive Mood is used:

· To express wish:

e.g . Success attend you!

· To express wish the analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary may is also used.

e.g. May you live long and die happy!

· To express an unreal wish:

e.g. If only he were free!

· In oaths and imprecations:

e.g. Manners be hanged!

· In some expressions:

e.g. Be it so!

God forbid!

The Subjunctive Mood in simple sentences is characteristic of literary style, except in oaths and imprecations, which belong to low colloquial style.

2. Complex sentences

· The Subjunctive Mood is used in conditional sentences to

express an unreal condition (in the subordinate clause) and an unreal consequence (in the principal clause).

In sentences of unreal condition referring to the present of future the past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used in the subordinate clause; with other verbs the same meaning is expressed by the Past Infinitive of the Indicative Mood. In the principal clause we find the analytical subjunctive consisting of the mood auxiliary should or would and the Indefinite Infinitive. Should is used with the first person singular and plural, would is used with the second and third person singular and plural.

e.g. The world would be healthier if every chemist’s shop in England were demolished.

An unreal condition referring to the future can also be expressed by the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be + to – Infinitive of the notional verb or the analytical Subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should for all the persons. Such sentences are often translated by means of «Еслибыслучилосьтак…», «Случилосьтак…»

e.g. Well, Major, if you should send me to a difficult spot – with this man alone, I’d feel secure.

If in the subordinate clause the mood auxiliary should is used, we often find the Indicative Mood in the principal clause.

e.g. If he should come, ask him to wait.

In sentences of unreal condition referring to the Past Perfect of the Indicative Mood is used in the subordinate clause; in the principal clause we find the analytical subjunctive consisting of the mood auxiliary should or would and the Perfect Infinitive.

e.g. If I had consulted my own interests, I should never have come here.

There are two mixed types of sentences of unreal condition. In the first of these the condition refers to the past and the consequence refers to the present or future.