Re: English Subjunctive

--- Chris Bates <christopher.bates@...>
wrote:

> I was thinking, is the english subjunctive
> really a subjunctive? Its
> just, subjunctive has always been described to
> me as indicating doubt,
> whereas the english subjunctive doesn't
> indicate doubt but that
> something is definately contrary to fact (the
> speaker is in no doubt at
> all if he uses the subjunctive form).
It does both. The past subjunctive does contrary
to fact; the present subjunctive handles doubt.

>  Also, I'm not sure the subjunctive is
> disappearing...
Not that we can tell, anyway! It is identical to
the indicative apart from the 3s present and the
past of be.

Padraic.


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