THE USE OF SUBJUNCTIVE II

SUBJUNCTIVE I

Subjunctive I represents the action as problematic, but not contradicting reality. It's used to express suggestion, necessity, advice, supposition, etc.

Subjunctive I is seldom used in modern English. It is mostly used in the language of official documents and high prose and the American variant of English. It is used in different types of clauses: subject clauses, object clauses, adverbial clauses etc.

Ex. It's necessary that you help them. (subject clause).

He suggested that we take part in it. (suggestion - object clause)

He was afraid lest they be late. (fear, worry - object clause)

lest - как бы не

Put down my address lest you forget it. (warning - adverbial clause of purpose) lest - чтобы не

Success attend you! (wish - simple sentence)

Damn it! (curse - simple sentence)

SUBJUNCTIVE II

In Russian when we want to show that the action is not real we use the Subjunctive mood (the past form of the verb plus the particle "бы" - сказал бы, пошел бы, ответил бы).

In English this mood is rendered by the form of Subjunctive II, which is also the past form of any verb.

Ex. Oh, if only it were summer! I wish we had more time. It's time we knew everything.

Subjunctive II represents the action as unreal, as contrary to reality. Morphologically it has two forms: "non-perfect" (Subjunctive II present) and "perfect" (Subjunctive II past).

Subjunctive II present Subjunctive II past

(non-perfect) (perfect)

I did I had done

He were He had been

We went We had gone

You had You had had

The non-perfect form of Subjunctive II is used to express actions simultaneous with the present (or past) moment of the predicate or referred to the future.

Ex. I wish you were all here. (Как бы хотелось, чтобы вы все были здесь.)

He behaved as if he were a child. (Он вел себя как ребенок.)

She wished she could stay there forever. (Ей хотелось бы остаться там навсегда.)

The perfect form of Subjunctive II is used to express priority of actions which were not fulfilled and are only to be regretted.

THE USE OF SUBJUNCTIVE II

It may be used independently of other clauses to express:

advice:

Smb. had better

do smth / not do smth

She had better go there at once. (Ей лучше пойти туда сразу.)

You’d better not tell her about it. (Лучше не говорите ей об этом.)

preference:

Smb.

{

would had

}

rather (sooner)

do smth / not do smth

I would sooner have some sandwiches. (Я бы лучше съела несколько бутербродов.)

I would rather not stay here. (Я бы лучше не оставалась здесь.)

Would you rather have tea or coffee? (Вы предпочитаете чай или кофе?)

preference:	Smb.	’d had would	}	rather	smb. did smth.
smb. had done smth.

I’d rather you went now. (Я бы предпочел, чтобы вы сейчас ушли.)

She’d much rather you had stayed. (Она бы предпочла, чтобы вы тогда остались.)

wish in if-clauses:	If only Oh, if Oh, that	smb.	did smth.
had done smth.

If only I could see him again! (Ах, если бы я только мог увидеть его снова!)

If only I had told her the truth! (Ах, если бы я сказала ей правду!) – в прошлом

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14