The subjunctive mood in object clauses

The choice of the subjunctive mood form in object clauses depends on the meaning of the verb standing before the object clause.

1. In object clauses after verbs expressing order(to order, to command, to give orders, to give instructions, to demand, to urge, to insist, to require), request (to request, to appeal, to beg), suggestion (to suggest, to recommend, to propose, to move, to advise) either should + infinitive or the present subjunctive is used, the first form being more common than the second.

We urged that in future these relations should be more friendly.

Mr. Nupkins commanded that the lady should be shown in.

In American English the present subjunctive in this sentence pattern is predominant.

People don’t demand that a thing be reasonable if their emotions are touched.

I suggested that she give up driving, but she looked too miserable.

The same form is used after the predicative adjectives sorry, glad, pleased, vexed, eager, anxious, determined, etc., if the action is regarded as an imagined one.

I am sorry she should take such needless trouble.

His brother’s suggestion was absurd. He was vexed his relatives should interfere into his private matters.

2. In object clauses after the verb wish and phrases expressing the same idea I had better, I would rather, or the contracted form I’d rather -different forms may be used, depending on the time-reference of the action in the object clause. If the action refers to the present or future, or is simultaneous with the action expressed in the principal clause, the non-factual past indefinite, past continuous, or past subjunctive is used. After I’d rather the present subjunctive is also possible.

I wish I knew something of veterinary medicine. There’s a feeling of helplessness with a sick animal.

I wish you came here more often. I hardly ever see you.

Note:To express a realizable wish an infinitive, not a clause is generally used:

I want him to come.

I should like to discuss things in detail.

He wished it to be true.

If the action refers to the past or is prior to the moment it is desired the non-factual past perfect or past perfect continuous is used, no matter in what tense the verb in the principal clause is. Thus in both the sentences I wish I hadn’t come and I wished I hadn’t come the non-factual past perfect denotes a prior imaginary action, contradicting reality.

We wished we hadn’t left everything to the last minute.

I wish I had been taught music in my childhood.

If the desired action refers to the future the following subjunctive forms may be used:

would + infinitive (only when the subject of the subordinate clause and that of the principal clause do not denote the same thing or person). It denotes a kind of request.

could + infinitive

may (might) + infinitive

The form would + infinitiveis used when the fulfilment of the wish depends on the will of the person denoted by the subject of the subordinate clause. If the fulfilment of the wish depends more on the circumstances, the quasi-subjunctive form may (might) + infinitive is preferable, to show that the realization of the action is very unlikely.

I wish you would treat me better.

I wish I could help you.

When rendering wish-clauses into Russian it is possible to use a clause with the opposite meaning, introduced by the impersonal «жаль», «как жаль», «какая жалость» or by the finite form of the verb «сожалеть».

I wish I knew it. I wish I didn’t know it!

- Жаль, что я этого не знаю. - Какая жалость, что я это знаю!

3. In object clauses after verbs expressing fear, apprehension, worry (to fear, to be afraid, to be terrified, to be anxious, to worry, to be fearful, to be troubled, to be in terror, to tremble, to dread, etc.) two forms are used, depending on the conjunction introducing the clause:

a) after the conjunction that or if the clause is joined asyndetically, the quasi-subjunctive may/might + infinitive is used. The choice of either may or might depends on the tense of the verb in the main clause.

They trembled (that) they might be discovered. I fear (that) he may forget about it.

Они дрожали, что их могут обнаружить. Боюсь, как бы он не забыл об этом.

b) after the conjunction lest the form should + infinitiveis used.

The passengers were terrified lest the ship should catch fire.

Пассажиров охватил ужас, как бы корабль не загорелся.

The indicative forms are also possible in clauses of this type if the action is regarded as a real one: She was afraid that he had changed his mind.

4. In object clauses after verbs and phrases expressing doubt(to doubt, to disbelieve, to have doubts, to greet with scepticism, etc.) and after some other verbs in the negative form the past subjunctive may be used. The subordinate clause is introduced by if or whether.

We had doubts if it were possible to cross the river at this time of the year.

I doubted she had even been there.

5. In object clauses referring to the formal it + objective predicative, expressing opinion of some situation, the choice of the form depends on the general meaning of the principal clause:

We found it strange that he should speak so calmly after the events (the principal clause expresses the idea of disbelief, hence the form should speak is used).

We regard it as highly probable that he may return soon (the principal clause expresses the idea of

probability, hence the form may return is used).

3)The subjunctive mood in appositive and predicative clauses

The choice of the form in these clauses is determined by the lexical meaning of the words these clauses follow or refer to.

The order that we should come surprised me. (appositive clause)

The orderwas that we should come. (predicative clause)

His suggestion that we stop and have a look round the castle was rather sudden. (appositive clause)

His suggestionwas that we stop and have a look round the castle. (predicative clause)

1. The forms should + infinitive or the present subjunctive are used after nouns expressing wish, advice, desire, proposal, doubt, hesitation, fear, apprehension, etc. After the last two nouns the conjunction lest is used.

Mary’s wishwas that we should stay at her place as long as possible. (predicative cl)

Your advice that he wait till next week is reasonable. (appositive clause)

Our fearlest he should give away our secret was great. (appositive clause)

Our fear was lest we should get lost in the forest. (predicative clause)

2. In predicative clauses joined by the link verbs to be, to seem, to look, to feel, to taste, to smell, etc. the past subjunctive or non-factual tense forms are used. In this case the clause has a comparative meaning and is accordingly introduced by the comparative conjunctions as if, as though. If the action in the subordinate clause is simultaneous with the action in the principal clause the past subjunctive or non-factual past in­definite is used. If the action is prior to that in the principal clause, the non-factual past perfect is used.

He looked as if he were ill (his being ill is simultaneous with the time when his looks are commented upon).

He looked as if he had been ill (his being ill was prior to the time his looks are commented upon).

The house looked as if it had been deserted for years.

I felt as though I were talking to a child.

It was as if I were being attacked by an invisible enemy.

Note:There is a tendency in informal style to use the indicative forms instead of the subjunctive ones, especially if one is confident of the exactitude of the comparison.

Ingrid looks as if she has a bath every morning.

You sound as if you’ve got the whole world on your shoulders.

48.

Indefinite pronouns indicate persons or non-persons or else their properties in a general way without defining the class of objects they belong to, class or properties they possess. They are: some, any, somebody, anybody, someone, anyone, something, anything, one.

Some, any, something, anything have no grammatical categories, somebody, anybody, someone, anyone, and one have the category of case (somebody’s, anybody’s, someone’s, anyone’s, one’s).

Some and any indicatequalities orquantities, depending on the class and grammatical form of the noun with which they are used as attributes or for which they function as their substitutes. The ideaof quantity is actualised if they combine with:

a) count nouns in the plural:

Are thereany roses in your garden? I have a tot of flowers in my garden,some of them are sweet-scented,some are not.

b) nouns of material:

Give mesome water, please. Can you seeany snow on the mountaintop?

c) abstract nouns:

She won’t give youany trouble.

When used before noun-phrases with cardinal numerals some denotes approximate quantity: some ten years ago, some twenty people (около, приблизительно).

The idea ofquality is actualised when some and any combine with count nouns in the singular. In a positive statement any acquires the meaning of ‘любой'.

They boughtsome old house in the country, (какой-то дом)

Any horse will do now. (любая лошадь)

Very often the idea of quality and that of quantity go together: Some people will do it of their own free will means a certain type of persons and о certain number of people.

some hasassertive force, that is presupposes the presence of some quality or quantity. It generally corresponds to the Russian неко­торый, какой-то, некоторое количество. Any has anon-assertive force,that is, does not presuppose the presence of any quality or quantity, and generally corresponds to the Russian какой-нибудь, какой-либо, сколько-нибудь.

Some is commonly used inaffirmative andimperative sentences.

There aresome apples on the table. Give himsome milk.

Any is commonly used:

1) In negative sentences (with negatives not, no, never, neither... nor), in sentences withincomplete negatives (hardly, little, few, least, etc.), and withimplied negatives (fail, prevent, reluctant, hard, difficult).

I don’t likeany of them. She hasnever lastedany wine.

2) In questions, mostly general:

Did you seeany of them? Is thereany bread there?

3) In conditional clauses:

Ifany person learns about it, you will have to leave.

4) In comparative phrases:

He did more for me thanany of you.

However, some not any, is used in interrogative sentences when their basic meaning is assertive and the speaker suggests that a certain state of affairs exists, as in:

Did you seesome new English books on the shelf?

(The speaker suggests that there are new English books on the shelf and the addressee had only to look on them).

When will you havesome time to show me your presents?

Syntactically some and any can be used as subject, object, or attribute.

The compound pronouns of this subclass (something, somebody, someone, anything, anybody, anyone) are used only asnoun-pronouns.Those ending in -thing imply non-persons, and those ending in -body imply persons. The difference in their communicative value is the same as between some and any. The pronouns with the element some- are used in affirmative and conditional sentences, or in interrogative, negative and conditional sentences if they are assertive

The pronouns beginning with any are used in negative and interrogative sentences, in conditional clauses, in comparative phrases and in affirmative sentences meaning no matter what, no matter who.

The pronoun one is indefinite-personal. It indicates people in general implying inclusion of the speaker, much in the same way as the indefinite-personal we, you, they do:

One is used assubject andattribute (in the genitive case)

One never knows what may happen.

Никогда не знаешь, что может случиться.

The use of one is rather formal. In everyday speech weor you is preferable:

You never know what may happen.