Топик: Subjunctive (or conditional) mood

5. Knew Helen his address she would visit him. (Знай Елена его адрес, она бы навестила его).

6. It is necessary that he should come . (Необходимо, чтобы он пришел).

Conditional sentences of the third type express suppositions referring to the past and that is why they are unrealizable. Like the Conditional sentences of the second type they correspond in Russian language to the Conditional sentences with a verb in Subjunctive mood (i.e. with a verb in the form of past tens with a particle бы in Russian language).

In the Conditional sentences of the third type in the subordinate clause (in the condition) there used the form of Past Perfect and in the main clause (in the consequence) there used a combination would with Perfect Infinitive (without to ).

Ex. If your instructions had been received** ten days ago, the goods would have been shipped by the S.S “Svir” yesterday. (Если бы ваши указания были получены десять дней назад, товар был бы отгружен вчера пароходом «Свирь»).

** We have here the form of Subjunctive mood which coincides with the form of Past Perfect of Indicative mood.

The unreal condition of the past moment can be expressed also by other ways:

1. Without using of conjunction If:

Ex. Had I seen him yesterday I should have informed him. (Увидь я его вчера, я бы сообщил ему об этом.)

2. By using of the model verb might:

Ex. He might have done it if he tried.

(Он смог бы это сделать, если бы попытался).

4. By using of the verb wish :

Ex. I wish(ed ) I had known him then.

(Как жаль, что я его не знала тогда).

It is worth while giving example of the case of using the Conditional sentences of the mixed type:

Ex. If you had worked harder then you would know English better. (Если бы ты занимался усерднее (раньше, когда-то), (сейчас) ты бы знал английский лучше).

Finally, it is appropriate mention here those scholars who devoted themselves to studying the problems of moods:

M. Deutschbein (he proposed 16 moods);

Prof. Smirnitsky ( he proposed the system of 6 moods: indicative, imperative, subjunctive1, subjunctive2, suppositional and conditional);

Prof. G. Vorontsova;

M. Gantina and N. Vasilevskaya and others.