What Is Grammatical Mood?
Verbs in English express not just tense (when an action happens) but also mood — the attitude of the speaker toward the action. There are three main moods in English:
- The indicative mood states facts and asks questions: She goes to the office every day.
- The imperative mood gives commands and requests: Go to the office now.
- The subjunctive mood expresses wishes, hypotheticals, conditions contrary to fact, and demands: I wish she were here.
How to Form the Subjunctive
The subjunctive has two main forms in English: the present subjunctive and the past subjunctive.
The Present Subjunctive
The present subjunctive uses the base form of the verb (the infinitive without to) for all persons, including third-person singular where the indicative would add an -s:
- Indicative: She goes to every meeting.
- Subjunctive: I recommend that she go to every meeting.
- Indicative: He is prepared.
- Subjunctive: It is essential that he be prepared.
- Indicative: The report includes all relevant data.
- Subjunctive: The committee insists that the report include all relevant data.
The difference is visible only in third-person singular, where the indicative adds -s but the subjunctive does not. With be, the subjunctive form is always be rather than is or are.
The Past Subjunctive
The past subjunctive is used to express hypothetical or contrary-to-fact conditions. For most verbs, it looks identical to the simple past. The significant exception is be, where the past subjunctive is always were (not was) for all persons, including first-person singular:
- If I were you, I would reconsider. (not was)
- She wishes she were closer to the city.
- If the budget were larger, we could expand the team.
- He acts as if he were the only person in the room.
When to Use the Subjunctive
The subjunctive appears in four main contexts.
1. Hypothetical and Contrary-to-Fact Conditions
When an if-clause describes something that is not true, unlikely, or imagined, use the past subjunctive:
- If she were the manager, things would be different. (she is not the manager)
- If the company were to expand, it would need more staff.
- If I were in your position, I would accept the offer.
Compare this with a real conditional, where the indicative is appropriate: If she is the manager, she will attend the briefing. (this is a real possibility, not a hypothetical)
2. Wishes and Desires
After verbs like wish, the past subjunctive signals that the wish is contrary to the current reality:
- I wish the deadline were later. (it is not later)
- She wishes she were more experienced.
- They wish the policy were clearer.
3. Recommendations, Requirements, and Demands
After verbs of demanding, requesting, recommending, or requiring, the present subjunctive is standard in formal English. These constructions use that followed by the base verb:
- The board recommends that the policy be revised.
- The contract requires that the vendor provide documentation.
- She requested that he submit the report by Friday.
- The manual demands that the user restart the device.
Common verbs in this pattern: ask, demand, insist, propose, recommend, request, require, suggest, urge.
4. Expressions of Necessity and Importance
Fixed constructions expressing importance or necessity also trigger the present subjunctive:
- It is essential that the process be documented.
- It is vital that every team member attend the briefing.
- It is necessary that the form be submitted before noon.
- It is important that she understand the implications.
Common triggers: it is essential / vital / important / necessary / critical / imperative / advisable that...
Fixed Subjunctive Expressions
Several common English expressions are frozen subjunctive forms that survive as idioms:
- Be that as it may
- Come what may
- Far be it from me
- If need be
- So be it
- Suffice it to say
- God save the Queen
These are subjunctive verb forms, but most speakers use them without thinking of them as such.
"Was" vs. "Were" in Hypotheticals
The was/were distinction is the most discussed aspect of the subjunctive. In formal writing, use were in all hypothetical and contrary-to-fact constructions, regardless of the grammatical subject:
- Formal: If I were wrong, I would admit it.
- Formal: If she were to accept the offer...
- Informal: If I was wrong, I would admit it. (common in speech, not standard in formal writing)
In spoken and informal English, was is widely used instead of were in these constructions. In formal academic and professional writing, were is the standard.
The Subjunctive in American and British English
American English retains the mandative subjunctive (in recommendations and demands) more consistently than British English. In British English, it is common to use should plus the infinitive as an alternative: The committee recommends that the policy should be revised. Both are acceptable in formal writing; the mandative subjunctive without should is more common in American formal writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the subjunctive disappearing from English?
The present subjunctive in mandative constructions (I recommend that she go) has weakened in informal and British English, where should plus the infinitive is often substituted. In American formal and academic writing, the subjunctive remains standard. The past subjunctive in hypotheticals (if I were you) is more resilient and is still widely used across varieties of English.
When should I use "if I were" vs. "if I was"?
Use if I were when the condition is hypothetical, imagined, or contrary to fact. Use if I was when the condition may actually have been true. The difference: If I were the CEO, I would change the policy (I am not and may never be) vs. If I was rude at the meeting, I apologize (I may have been).
How do I know whether to use the subjunctive after "that"?
Check the main verb. If it is a verb of demanding, requesting, recommending, requiring, or insisting, the subjunctive is standard in the that-clause: The manager insisted that the team submit the report. If the main verb is a verb of thinking, saying, or believing, the indicative is standard: She said that the report was ready.
Does the subjunctive apply to all verbs?
The subjunctive applies to all verbs, but it is only visibly different from the indicative in specific contexts: third-person singular in the present subjunctive (go instead of goes), and all persons of be in both the present (be instead of is/are) and past (were instead of was). For all other verbs in the past subjunctive, the form is identical to the simple past.