Re: English Subjunctive

Joe wrote:

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Andreas Johansson" <andjo@...>
>To: <CONLANG@...>
>Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2003 9:20 AM
>Subject: Re: English Subjunctive
>
>
>
>
>>Quoting Costentin Cornomorus <elemtilas@...>:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Not that we can tell, anyway! It [the subjunctive] is identical to
>>>the indicative apart from the 3s present and the
>>>past of be.
>>>
>>>
>>I thought the present subjunctive of "to be" was "be" across the board?
>>
>>
>
>Aye, 'tis.  Of course, 's not really the case anymore.  These days we insist
>on using those annoying words like 'if' and 'whether' with the indicative.
>
>English doesn't really have a seperately inflected subjunctive in normal
>speech.
>
>
>
>>                                                               Andreas
>>
>>
>>
Present subjunctive is the base form of the verb.  Past sunjunctive is
the same as past indicative except for
 'be' where it's 'were' for all persons.

present subjunctive

come what may.  long live the king.  They recommended that he give up
writing (formal and more usual in
American English.  UK has They recommend that he should give up writing.
informal They recommend he
gives up writing)

David Barrow