Federal Agencyon education
Stateeducational institution of vocational training
College of Optics and Electronics
Diploma paper
«The problemsof the Subjunctive Mood in English»
Krasnogorsk 2007
Федеральное агентство пообразованию по образованию
Государственноеобразовательное учреждение среднего профессионального образования
Красногорский оптико-электронныйколледж
Дипломная работа
«Проблемы сослагательногонаклонения в английском языке»
Красногорск 2007
Contents
Preface
1. The SubjunctiveMood?
1.1 Foreignlinguists’ speculations about the Subjunctive Mood
1.2 TheSubjunctive Mood from the point of view of the representatives of the Russianlinguistic school
2. The maincases of the use of the Subjunctive Mood in English
3. The use ofThe Subjunctive Mood in the works of English and American writers
Conclusion
Bibliography
Preface
Thereare many controversial and not thoroughly investigated points in the Englishgrammar. Nevertheless, in my opinion one of the most difficult and not clearboth from the point of view of its definition and description and from thepoint of view of its practical implementation in speech is the subject of theSubjunctive Mood. Even the name of this grammatical category seems ambiguous interm of its being approached and characterized by different outstandinglinguists in our country and abroad.
Nowonder this problem couldn’t but arise my curiosity and language interest. Ihave made up my mind to consider the material compiled on this problem indifferent sources to clear up the point for myself and to have a better ideaabout the usage of the Subjunctive Mood in speech.
Iwill learn more information about points of views of English and Russiangrammarians. It is very interesting for me to know how English linguistsunderstand problem of The Subjunctive Mood and what way Russian ones do it. Iwill also introduce the most important point of my diploma paper – the usage ofthe Subjunctive Mood. I want to learn in what cases we should use the SubjunctiveMood.
Thusthe object of my paper is the Subjunctive Mood itself.
Thesubject of my diploma paper is the Subjunctive Mood in the works of foreign andRussian grammar schools as well as the main cases of the Subjunctive Moodusage.
Theaim of my diploma paper is to compare different approaches to the problem ofthe Subjunctive Mood with the purpose of investigating the material availablefor me about the Subjunctive Mood from English and Russian sources.
Mydiploma paper consists of three chapters: in the 1st chapter Iconsider different approaches to the Subjunctive Mood understanding both in ourcountry and abroad. In the 2nd chapter I present the main cases ofthe Subjunctive Mood use and perform the results obtained. There is aconclusion too. To write my diploma paper I used the works of the outstandingEnglish grammarians, such as: H. Sweet, G.O. Curme, O. Jespersen and Russianscholars: V. Kaushanskaya, V. Vinogradov. You can see the names of their worksin the list of literature, on page 25, and the information from Internet.
The3d chapter represents my practical contribution into the problem ofthe Subjunctive Mood. In this chapter I analyze the use of the Subjunctive Moodby some English and American writers and draw the conclusion based on thematerial collected.
Theliterary sources are given as supplementary material after Bibliography.
1.The Subjunctive Mood?
1.1 Foreign linguists’ speculations about the Subjunctive Mood
Aswe shall further see there is no unity on the Subjunctive Mood among the worldfamous foreign grammarians. I would like to dwell on the views of the mostoutstanding linguists.
Bythe moods of a verb H. Sweet in his work «A new English Grammar (Part I)» understandsgrammatical forms expressing different relations between subject and predicate.Thus, if a language has special forms to express commands as distinguished fromstatements, we include the forms that express command under the term «imperativemood». Thus in English come! is in the imperative mood, while thestatement he comes is in the «indicative» mood.
InEnglish the only inflectional moods are the indicative and subjunctive. But theinflections of the English verb are so scanty that we need not be surprised tofind that the distinction between indicative and subjunctive is very slight.The only regular inflection by which the subjunctive is distinguished from theindicative in English is that of the third person singular present, which dropsthesof the indicative (he sees) in the subjunctive (he see). Inthe verb to be, however, further distinctions are made: indicative Iam, he is, he was, subjunctive I be, he be, he were,although in the spoken language the only distinction that is still kept us isthat between wasand were. Consequently the sense of thedistinction in function between subjunctive and indicative has almost died outin English, and use the subjunctive were only in combination with othermood-forms, the other subjunctive inflections surviving only in a few specialphrases and constructions, such as God, save the Queen!, where thesubjunctive expresses wish, being thus equivalent to the Greek optative.
Thefew distinction that English makes between fact-statements and thought-statementsare mainly expressed, not by inflections, but by auxiliaries (periphrasticmoods), and by peculiar uses of tense-distinctions. The following are theauxiliary forms:
a) The combination of shouldand would with theinfinitive – the conditional mood.
b) The combination of may and its preteritemight withthe infinitive is called the permissive mood.
c) The combination of the finite forms of the verb to be withthe supine is called compulsive mood.
Weuse tenses to express thought-statements in the hypothetical clauses ofconditional sentences, as in if I knew his address I would write him; if itwere possible I would do it. In the latter example the hypothesis isshown not only by the preterite tense, but also by the subjunctive inflection,which is really superfluous. When a thought-statement is expressed by a tensein this way, H. Sweet calls it a tense-mood. Werein if itwereis a subjunctive tense-mood.
Aswe see, in some conditional sentences all three ways of expressingthought-statement are used.
G.O.Curme in the work «A Grammar of the English Language» considers moods as thechanges in the form of the verb to show the various ways in which the action orstate is thought of by the speaker.
Thereare two moods:
1. Indicative Mood. This form represents something as a fact,or as in close relation with reality, or in interrogative form inquires after afact.
2. Subjunctive Mood. The function of the subjunctive mood isto represent something, not as an actual reality, but as formed in the mind ofthe speaker as a desire, wish, volition, plan, conception, thought; somethingwith more or less hope of realization, or, in the case of a statement, withmore or less belief, sometimes with little or no hope or faith.
Thevarious meanings may be classified under two general heads – the optativesubjunctive and the potential subjunctive. The optative subjunctive representssomething as desired, demanded, required. The potential subjunctive markssomething as a mere conception of the mind, but at the same time represents itas something that may probably be or become a reality or on the other hand assomething that is contrary to fact.
H.Whitehall in the work «Structural Essentials of English» says that Mood (ormode) establishes the speaker’s or writer’s mood about the actuality of ahappening. The indicative mood indicates that what he says must be regarded asa fact, i.e., as having occurred or as occurring; the so-called subjunctivemood implies that he is doubtful or uncertain about its occurrence.
Althoughthe subjunctive is gradually dying out of the language, English is rich indevices for expressing one’s psychological moods toward happenings that areimaginary.
Ourapparatus for expressing mood suggests that in the use of verb word-groups, thespeaker’s or writer’s mental attitudes are of great importance.
Manygrammarians enumerate the following moods in English, etc.: indicative,subjunctive, imperative, infinitive, and participle. O. Jespersen as it can beseen from «The Philosophy of Grammar» considers that infinitives andparticiples cannot be coordinated with the others, and we shall therefore inthis chapter deal with the first three moods only. These are sometimes calledfact-mood, thought-mood, and will-mood respectively. But they do not expressdifferent relations between subject and predicate. It is much more correct tosay that they express certain attitudes of the mind of the speaker towards thecontents of the sentence.
O.Jespersen in his work «A modern English Grammar» presents forms of theSubjunctive Mood in the table:For expressing unreal action, simultaneous or planning action towards now For expressing unreal action, past towards now
I. I should
he, she, it would do
we should be doing
you would be done
they would
II. I
he, she, it do
we would be doing
you be done
they
III. I
he, she, it do
we should be doing
you be done
they
IV. I
he, she, it
we be, did, were
you
they
should
would have done
should have been doing
would have been doing
would
have done
would have been doing
have been doing
have done
should have been doing
have been doing
had been
had done
1.2 The Subjunctive Mood from the point of view of the representativesof the Russian linguistic school
Thecategory of mood in the present English verb has given rise to so manydiscussions, and has been treated in so many different ways, that it seemshardly possible to arrive at any more or less convincing and universallyacceptable conclusion concerning it. Indeed, the only points in the sphere ofmood which have not so far been disputed seem to be these: there is a categoryof mood in Modern English; there are at least two moods in the modern Englishverb, one of which is the Subjunctive. These points were discussed not only byEnglish grammarians, but Russian grammarians too.
AcademicianV. Vinogradov in his work «Russian Language» gave the definition of thecategory of mood: «Mood expresses the relation of the action to reality, asstated by the speaker.»
Therelations between meaning and form will be expressed by two different series ofexternal signs.
Thefirst of these two points may be illustrated by sequence we should come,which means one thing in the sentence I think we should come here againtomorrow; it means another thing in the sentence if we knew that hewants us we should come to see him, and it means another thing again in thesentence How queer that we should come at the very moment when you weretalking about us! In a similar way, several meanings may be found in thesequence he would come in different contexts.
Thesecond of the two points may be illustrated by comparing the two sentences, Isuggest that he go and I suggest that he should go, and we will forthe present neglect the fact that the first of the two variants is more typicalof American, and the second of British English.
Mattersare still further complicated by two phenomena where we are faced with a choicebetween polysemy and homonymy. One of these concerns forms like lived, knew,etc. Such forms appear in two types of contexts, of which one may beexemplified by the sentences, He lived here five years ago, or I knewit all along, and the other by the sentences If he lived here he wouldcome at once, or, If I knew his address I should write to him.
Insentences of the first type the form obviously is the past tense of theindicative mood. The second type admits of two interpretations: either the formlived, knew, etc. are the same forms of the past indicative that wereused in the first type, but they have acquired another meaning in thisparticular context, or else the forms lived, knew, etc. are forms of thepast indicative but are basically different.
Thereis another peculiar complication in the analysis of mood. The question is, whatverbs are auxiliaries of Mood in Modern English? The verbs should and wouldare auxiliaries expressing unreality. But the question is less clear with theverb may when used in such sentences as Come closer that I may hear what yousay. Is the group may hear some mood form of the verb hear,or is it a free combination of two verbs, thus belonging entirely to the fieldof syntax, not morphology? The same question may be asked about the verb mayin such sentences as May you be happy! Where it is part of a groupused to express a wish, and is perhaps a mood auxiliary. We ought to seek anobjective criterion which would enable us to arrive at a convincing conclusion.
Allthese considerations, varied as they are, make the problem of mood in ModernEnglish extremely difficult to solve and they seem to show in advance that nouniversally acceptable solution can be hoped for in a near future. Thoseproposed so far have been extremely unlike each other. Owning to the differenceof approach to moods, grammarians have been vacillating between two extremes –3 moods (indicative, subjunctive and imperative), put forward by manygrammarians, and 16 moods, as proposed by M. Deutschbein. Between theseextremes there are intermediate views, such as that of Prof. A. Smirnitsky, whoproposed a system of 6 moods (indicative, imperative, subjunctive I,subjunctive II, suppositional, and conditional), and who was followed in thisrespect by M. Ganshina and N. Vasilevskaya.
Ifwe look through the meaning of the mood forms, we obtain the following headings:Meaning Means of expression
Inducement (order, request, prayer, and the like)
Possibility (action thought of as conditionally possible, or as purpose of another action, etc.)
Unreal condition
Consequence of unreal condition
come (!) (no ending, no auxiliary, and usually without subject, 2nd person only)
(he) come (no ending, no auxiliary)
Should come (should for all persons)
may come (?)
came, had come (same as past or past perfect indicative), used in subordinate clauses
should come (1st person)
would come (2nd and 3rd person)
Wewould thus get either four moods, or three moods, or two moods. The choicebetween these variants will remain arbitrary and is unlikely ever to bedetermined by means of any objective data.
If,on the other hand, we start from the means of expressing moods we are likely toget something like this system:
Meaning Means of expression
Inducement
Possibility
Unreal condition
Unlikely condition
Consequence of unreal condition
Wish or purpose
come (!) (no ending, no auxiliary, and usually without subject)
(he) come (no ending in any persons, no auxiliary)
came, had come
Should come (for all persons)
should come (1st person)
would come (2nd and 3rd person)
may come (?)
Inthis way we should obtain different system, comprising six moods, with thefollowing meanings:
1. Inducement
2. Possibility
3. Unreal condition
4. Unlikely condition
5. Consequence of unreal condition
6. Wish or purpose
Asimilar problem concerns the groups «should + infinitive» and «would +infinitive». Two views are possible here. If we have decided to avoid homonymyas far as possible, we will say that a group of this type is basically a tense(the future-in-the-past), which under certain specified conditions may expressan unreal action – the consequence of an unfulfilled condition.
Ifwe endorse one of the views, that is, if we take the temporal and the modalgroups «should (would) + infinitive» to be homonyms, the patterns themselveswill not change. The change will affect the headings. We shall have to say, inthat case, that the patterns serve to distinguish between two basicallydifferent forms sounding alike. Again, just as in the case of lived and knew,this will be a matter of interpreting facts, rather than of the facts as such.
Tosum up the whole discussion about categories of the verb found in conditionalsentences, the simplest view, and the one to be preferred is that we have hereforms of the indicative mood in a special use. Another view is that we havehere forms of special moods, and that they are distinguished from each otheraccording to the category of correlation.
2.The main cases of the use of The Subjunctive Mood in English
1. Simple sentences
Insimple sentences the synthetic forms of the Subjunctive Mood are more frequentthan the analytical forms.
Insimple sentences the Subjunctive Mood is used:
· To express wish:
e.g. Successattend you!
· To express wish the analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliarymay 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!
TheSubjunctive 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
expressan unreal condition (in the subordinate clause) and an unreal consequence (inthe principal clause).
Insentences of unreal condition referring to the present of future the pastSubjunctive of the verb to be is used in the subordinate clause; withother verbs the same meaning is expressed by the Past Infinitive of theIndicative Mood. In the principal clause we find the analytical subjunctiveconsisting of the mood auxiliary should or would and the Indefinite Infinitive.Should is used with the first person singular and plural, would is used withthe second and third person singular and plural.
e.g.The world would be healthier if every chemist’s shop in England were demolished.
Anunreal condition referring to the future can also be expressed by the PastSubjunctive of the verb to be + to – Infinitive of the notional verb or theanalytical Subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should for all the persons. Suchsentences are often translated by means of «Если бы случилось так…», «Случилось так…»
e.g.Well, Major, if you should send me to a difficult spot – with this manalone, I’d feel secure.
Ifin the subordinate clause the mood auxiliary should is used, we often find theIndicative Mood in the principal clause.
e.g.If he should come, ask him to wait.
Insentences of unreal condition referring to the Past Perfect of the IndicativeMood is used in the subordinate clause; in the principal clause we find theanalytical subjunctive consisting of the mood auxiliary should or would and thePerfect Infinitive.
e.g.If I had consulted my own interests, I should never have come here.
Thereare two mixed types of sentences of unreal condition. In the first of these thecondition refers to the past and the consequence refers to the present orfuture.
e.g.If you had taken your medicine yesterday, you would be well now.
Inthe second type the condition refers to no particular time and the consequenceto the past.
e.g.If he were not so absent-minded, he would not have mistaken you for yoursister.
Insentences of unreal condition the modal verbs might and cold are often used;they fully retain their modal meaning and therefore they do not form theanalytical subjunctive.
Herewe have the group «modal verb + Infinitive» which forms a compound verbal modalpredicate, whereas the analytical subjunctive forms a simple predicate.
e.g.I could have done very well if I had been without the Murdstones.
Would,when used in the subordinate clause of a sentence of unreal condition, is alsoa modal verb forming with the infinitive a compound verbal modal predicate.
e.g.If you would come and see us…, mother would be as proud of your company as Ishould be.
Theconjunctions introducing adverbial clauses of condition are: if, in case,provided, suppose, unless, and some others.
e.g.Suppose he wrote to you, would you answer?
Adverbialclauses of condition containing the verbs had, were, could and should are oftenintroduced without any conjunctions. In these cases we find inversion.
e.g.Should he come this way, I will speak to him.
TheSubjunctive Mood is used in sentences expressing what may be understood as anunreal consequence, the condition of which is not expressed as such.
e.g.There was no piano… because it would have taken up much room.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in adverbial clauses of purpose.
Whena clause of purpose is introduced by the conjunctions that, so that, inorder that, we find the analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary may(might)if the principal clause refers to the present of future; if the principalclause refers to the past, only the formmight is used.
Ashas already been stated, the mood auxiliary may(might) retains in thiscase a shade of modality.
e.g.He got up, cautiously, so that he might not wake the sleeping boy.
Ifa clause of purpose is introduced by lest the mood auxiliary should(for all persons) is generally used. Lest has a negative meaning (чтобы не).
e.g.She opened the window lest it should be stuffy in the room.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in adverbial clauses ofconcession.
Adverbialclauses of concession are introduced by the conjunctions and connectives though,although, however, no matter, whatever, whoever, etc. The analyticalsubjunctive with the mood auxiliary may (might) is generally used.
e.g.Though he may (might) be tired he will go to the concert.
Ifthe action of the subordinate clause is prior to that of the principal clausethe Perfect Infinitive is generally used.
e.g.However badly he may have behaved to you in the past he is still yourbrother.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in adverbial clauses of time andplace
afterthe conjunctions whenever and wherever; in these cases theclauses have an additional concessive meaning.
e.g.Whenever you may (might) come, you are welcome.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in adverbial clauses of comparison(or manner) introduced by the conjunctions as if and asthough (the latter is more literary).
Ifthe action of subordinate clause is simultaneous with that of the principalclause the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used; with other verbsthe same meaning is expressed by the Past Indefinite of the Indicative Mood.
e.g.She speaks about him as if she knew him well.
Ifthe action of the subordinate clause is prior to that of the principal clausethe Past Perfect of the Indicative Mood is used.
e.g.She speaks about him as if she had known him for years.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in predicative clauses:
a) introduced by the conjunctionsas if, as though, when wefind the link verbs to be, to fell, to look, to seem, etc. in theprincipal clause.
Ifthe action of subordinate clause is simultaneous with that of the principalclause the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used; with other verbsthe same meaning is expressed by the Past Indefinite of the Indicative Mood.
Ifthe action of the subordinate clause is prior to that of the principal clausethe Past Perfect of the Indicative Mood is used.
e.g.I fell as if we were back seven years, Jon.
b)when the subject of the principal clause is expressed by an abstract noun suchas wish, suggestion, aim, idea, etc. In this case the analyticalsubjunctive with the mood auxiliary should (for all persons) is used.
e.g.One of the conditions was that I should go abroad.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in subject clause after aprincipal clause of the type It is necessary, It is important, etc.
/>It is necessary
Itis important
Itis right
Itis requested
Itis recommended that smb. should do smth.
Itis obligatory
Itis better (best)
Itis desirable
Itis of vital importance
Theanalytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should is used for allpersons.
e.g.It was necessary that the child’s history should be known to none.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in object clauses:
a) When the predicate of the principal clause is expressed by theverb to
wish. If theaction expressed in the object clause is simultaneous with that of theprincipal clause the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used; withother verbs the same meaning is expressed by the Past Indefinite of theIndicative Mood.
e.g.I wish I were a girl again.
Ifthe action expressed in the object clause is prior to that of the principalclause the Past Perfect of the Indicative Mood is used.
e.g.Auntie, I wish I had not done it.
Theanalytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary would (for all persons)is also used in object clauses the verb to wish. This form is used onlyin sentences referring to the present or future; it is possible only if thesubject of the principle clause is not the same as the subject of the objectclause. It is chiefly used in sentences expressing request or annoyance.
e.g.I wish you would stay with me for a while.
b) The Subjunctive Mood is used in object clauses introduced by the
conjunctionlest if in the principal clause the predicate is expressed by a verbdenoting fear.
e.g.She fears lest she should be blamed.
Afterverbs denoting fear object clauses are often introduced by the conjunction that,in which case the Indicative Mood is used often with the modal verb may (might).
e.g.She fears that she will (would) be blamed.
c) The Subjunctive Mood is used in object clauses when we find verbs
andWord-groups denoting order, suggestion, advice, desire, etc. in the principalclause. The analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should (forall persons) is used.
/>Suggest
Propose
Demand
Desire
Insist thatsmth.should be done
Tobe anxious
Seeto it
Order
Require
Makeup one’s mind
e.g.Mr. Micawber was very anxious that I should stay to dinner.
· The Subjunctive Mood is used in attributive appositive clauses modifyingthe nouns wish, suggestion, aim, idea, etc. The analytical subjunctivewith the mood auxiliary should (for all persons) is used.
e.g.His wish that everybody should take part in the work was reasonable.
· The Subjunctive Mood is also used in attributive clauses modifyingthe noun time in the principal clause It is time, It is high time. Inthis case the Past Subjunctive of the verb to be is used; with otherverbs the same meaning is expressed by the Past Indefinite of the IndicativeMood.
e.g.It is time we went home.
Theanalytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should is also possible,though less common.
e.g.It is time we should go home.
· As has already been stated the Subjunctive Mood may be used to expressan emotional attitude of the speaker to real facts. Here wealways find the analytical subjunctive with the mood auxiliary should,which in this case is often called the ‘emotional should’. If priorityis expressed the Perfect Infinitive is used.
Inthis case the Subjunctive Mood is rendered in Russian by the Indicative Mood. Theemotional should occurs in different kinds of subordinate clauses; theprincipal clause in such cases contains:
a) An adjective expressing astonishment, incredulity, regret, joy,such as strange, wonderful, unnatural, impossible, fortunate, unfortunate, etc.
e.g.It is impossible that she should have said it.
b) A noun with the same meaning: wonder, pity, shame, etc.
e.g.He is such a charming man that it is quite a pity he should be so grave andso dull.
c) The principal clause may be of the following type: I am sorry,glad, pleased, vexed, etc.
e.g.I am sorry you should take such needless trouble.
· The Tenses of the Forms Expressing Unreality (Summary)
As can be seen from the above description, not all the formsof unreality can express tense distinctions. Thus the Subjunctive Mood and themodal phrases should (for all persons) + infinitive and would (for all persons)+ infinitive have no tense distinctions. They are used only in certain types ofsubordinate clauses and generally show that the action of that clause followsthe action of the principal clause, i.e. they express time relatively.
e.g. I suggest(ed) that he takes up thematter.
Since these forms have no tense distinctions the rules of thesequence of tenses are not observed here.
Tense distinctions are expressed only by the forms of theConditional Mood (which has two tenses – Present and Past) and also by the useof the forms of the Past Indefinite and the Past Perfect.
The Present Conditional Mood and the form of the PastIndefinite (also the form were for all persons singular) serve to refer anaction to the present or the future when they are used in complex sentenceswith a clause of condition (or a clause of concession introduced by even if oreven though).
e.g. If I had time I should go on a shortholiday.
The Past Conditional Mood and the form of the Past Perfectserve to refer an action to the past in the same kinds of clauses.
e.g. If I had had time I should have gone on ashort holiday.
The Present Conditional Mood is also used with reference tothe present or future in simple sentences with implied condition while the PastConditional refers an action to the past.
e.g. It would not be possible to decideanything without him.
It would not have been possible to decide anything withouthim.
In all those cases the tenses are used absolutely, i.e. theyrefer an action directly to the present, the past or the future.
The same is true of the modal verb were + infinitive which isused only in if-clauses and refers an action of that clause to the future.
e.g. If everybody were to be brought updifferently, would the world not change?
But when all those forms, which in the above described casesexpress time relations absolutely are used in other subordinate clauses, theybecome relative tenses, i.e. they express the time with regard to the action ofthe principal clause. The Present Conditional Mood and the form of the PastIndefinite indicate that the action of the subordinate clause is simultaneouswith that of the principal clause or follows it.
e.g. They say it would be impossible to decideanything without him.
The Past Conditional Mood and the form of the Past Perfectshow that the action of the subordinate clause precedes that of the principalclause.
e.g. They say it would have been impossible todecide anything without him.
It should be remembered that the tenses in sentences ofunreal condition are also used relatively in reported speech.
e.g. He says that if he had time he would goon a short holiday.
As is seen from the examples, the rules of the sequence oftenses are not observed with any of the above mentioned forms expressingunreality.
It is different, however, when the forms can (may) +infinitive are used to express problematic actions. Can is found only inclauses of purpose, may – in clauses of purpose and-in object clauses afterexpressions of fear in the principal clause.
e.g. On Sundays we always go outing so thatthe children can spend the day in the open air.
The forms can (may) + infinitives are in the Indicative Moodhere, so the rules of the sequence of tenses should be observed. The aboveforms express the time relatively – they show that the action of thesubordinate clause follows that of the principal clause.
e.g. On Sundays we always went outing so thatthe children could spend the day in the open air.
3.The use of The Subjunctive Mood in the works of English and American authors
The3d chapter is my practical investigation of the problem of the useof different forms of the Subjunctive Mood by English and American writers. Forthis purpose I chose the following stories included into the textbook byMerkulova which we studied during our 3 year, there are: «A Marriage ofConvenience», «The Luncheon», «The Verger» by S. Maugham, «Jerusalem the Golden»by M. Drabble, «One Pair of Hands» by M. Dickens, «Shopping for One» by A.Cassidy, «A Start in Life» by A. Brookner, «The Lord of the Rings» by J.R.R.Tolkien as well as our home reading material «Love story» by Erick Segal.
All in all I have collected 62 examples on the use of theSubjunctive Mood in the above literature.
As far as the Conditional clauses are concerned they arerepresented by the following cases:
1. Refering to the Future – Present Tense
e.g.If I were a sentimentalist, and cared enough about Harvard to hang a photographon the wall, it would not be of Winthrop House, or Mem Church, but of Dillon.Dillon Field House.
2. Refering to the Past Tense
e.g.If you were to tell any of a dozen girlsat Tower Court, Wellesley, that Oliver Barrett IV had been a young lady dailyfor three weeks and had not slept with her, they would surely have laughed andseverely questioned the femininity of the girl involved.
3. Refering to the mixed type
e.g. If I did not want to marry, do youimagine that I should have spent three days reading love letters from women Ihave never set eyes on?
There are also examples when the unreal condition isexpressed with the help of inversion:
e.g. What inducement would there be for her togive up her accustomed life to accompany in exile a man of forty-nine who is byno means a beauty?
Some sentences show the use of the Subjunctive Moodintroduced by as if, as though in adverbial clauses of comparison depicting theaction both:
- simultaneous with the principal clause:
e.g.It was as if her exigent temperament required immediate results.
- prior to it:
e.g. Except white wine,» she proceeded asthough I had not spoken.
It worth mentioning that the verb «to be» in found in twoforms as «was»:
e.g.It’s not as if I was a bettin’ man.
and (what looks more Subjunctive) «were» for the person insingular:
e.g. The manager stared at him as though hewere a prehistoric monster.
A number of examples are characteristic of emotional «should»usage to express surprise or indignation of the speaker about the real facts:
e.g. It’s real, but why in hell should Isubject it to some arbitrary test?
Very few are sentences with the verb «wish»:
e.g. I wish I coulda seen it.
No examples were found on the use of the Subjunctive Mood inadverbial clauses of concession; attribute clauses which modify the noun of theprincipal clause «time» and adverbial clauses of purpose.
Conclusion
Having learned points of views of different grammarians aboutthe Subjunctive Mood, and also about its usage, I can say that this problem isreally difficult and needs solving.
Nevertheless, the problem of the Subjunctive Mood in Englishis really interesting. It is discussed by a lot of linguists not only of England, but Russia, Germany and other countries.
Doing my work, I found out, that English and Russiangrammarians see the problem of the Subjunctive Mood in a different way.Different linguists present various quantities of Moods and give them differentnames.
So, I’ve managed to get acquainted with different theories onthe problem of the Subjunctive Mood definition, to consider the main cases ofits usage and to learn that the same verbal mood phenomena can be treateddifferently depending on the basic point in understanding what the SubjunctiveMood is. All these theories only prove the fact that the language is thereflection of variety of forms of human life which is manifested in the saying:so many men, so many minds.
So, before starting to collect the material on the use of theSubjunctive Mood in the works of English and American writers for chapter 3 Ihad expected there would be quite a lot of examples for some reasons: firstly,because it is fiction, secondly, there are some but not one author, I was goingto analyze the works of with their own peculiarities in writing: their ownlexical and stylistic devices, their own vocabulary. But the number of theexamples I have found came as a surprise to me as it did not meet myexpectations.
As it turned out the majority of authors prefer usingdifferent forms of the conditional clauses, they make 72,6%.
The second place belongs to the quantity of the SubjunctiveMood forms introduced by the conjunction as if /as though inadverbial clauses of comparison and manner, they make 14,5%.
The sentences to express people’s emotions with «whyshould» occupy the 3d place, they constitute 8%.
The 4th place 3% that is taken by the sentenceswhere the Subjunctive Mood is introduced by the verb «wish».
And the last (but not least in importance) place – 1,6% belongsto subject clauses inserting the Subjunctive Mood according to the formula:
It beA….
Graphically I can show it in the following way:
The use of the Subjunctive Mood in the works of English andAmerican authors:
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It should be understood that I do not claim that the resultsobtained by us are embracing all the English and American literature, but I canexpress an idea that they may be characteristic of it.
The authors can very well do with the Indicative Mood andsometimes Imperative in their creative activities not using supposition,wishes, sorrow and other emotional shades of meaning so much, as I had firstexpected. May be it is due to the fact that the stories I considered forinvestigation are based on modern life reality.
It is not necessary to say that our contemporary life isdeprived of that romantic touch of sentimentality which can be expressed withthe help of the Subjunctive Mood. But I do hope that the forms of theSubjunctive Mood which I discovered in the works of modern English and Americanwriters will be of interest to our students.
As far as my interest of this diploma paper is concerned I amguided by the words of Pascal who said: «People are generally better persuadedby the reasons which they themselves have discovered than by those which havecome into the minds of others».
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