Subjunctive mood

The subjunctive mood is one of the English tongue's three moods. This writ is meant to show the subjunctive's uses, both current and historical.

Form
The verbal inflections for the indicative and the subjunctive are the following (benoting call as a ):

As one may expect, the inflections for be are irregular:

Obviously, English verbs are rather plain in their inflections; formerly, English once had a much more distinct inflectional system, but over time, the inflections were simplified and were then lost because of sound changes. Because of the lack of formal distinction between the indicative and the subjunctive in many cases, the subjunctive forms have fallen into disuse in many contexts.

Note that for negation, it is now to put a not before the verb if it is in the present subjunctive, e.g., that he not call (though for be, either way works, e.g., that he be not or that he not be). But for the past subjunctive, it is negated in the usual way, e.g., if I were not alive, if I did not call. Formerly, not simply needed to be put after the verb, e.g., lest he live not, if I went not.

Historically, the past subjunctive was commonly used if one talked about the past, as it still is in a few other tongues like French. But over time, the past subjunctive has mainly become benoted in reference to present or future time, as it is in German (in which it is called Konjunktiv II).

Desire
The present subjunctive is used to show desire in clauses following nouns, adjectives, and verbs of desire.


 * I insist that he be rewarded for his work.
 * We ask that the secretary tell us everything that he knows.
 * It is important that she leave at once.
 * My father has accepted our neighbor's request that he make him a drawer.