Lecture 16

1. Lecture 16 Subjunctive Mood

2. Teaching Contents • 16.1 BE – subjunctive • 16.2 WERE - subjunctive

3. Mood , as a grammatical category, is a finite verb form that indicate whether an utterance expresses a fact, a command or request, or a non-fact and hypothesis. • There are three types of mood: indicative mood, imperative mood and subjunctive mood. There are two forms of subjunctive mood: be – and were- subjunctive mood.

4. 16.1 BE - subjunctive • The be-subjunctive, like the imperative, is realized by the base form of the verb. • Whatever the person of the subject, the predicator invariably takes the base form. Consequently, where the clause has a plural subject, there is normally no distinction between indicative and subjunctive forms, except for the verb be. • The subjunctive form of be is be for all persons.

5. 1) In certain that-clauses • The be-subjunctive is commonly used in that clause to denote a command, decision, suggestion, etc. • A. After such verbs as decide, decree, demand, insist, move, order, prefer, propose, recommend, request, require, suggest, vote, etc. • --- The judge insisted that the accused man appear in person. • --- He ordered that the books be sent at once.

6. B. After such adjectives as advisable, appropriate, desirable, essential, fitting, imperative, important, impossible, necessary, obligatory, proper, etc. • --- It is absolutely essential that all the facts be examined first. • --- It is important that he be placed in the appropriate job.

7. C. After such nouns as decision, decree, demand, instruction, order, requirement, resolution, etc. • --- Our decision is that the school remain closed. • --- We were faced with the demand that this tax be abolished. • Note: • •It is essential that he {have / has /should have } all the facts.

8. 2) In certain adverbial clauses • The be-subjunctive is also used in adverbial clauses introduced by if, though, whatever, so long as, whether, lest. This is limited to formal style. --- If that be the official view, it cannot be accepted. If any person be found guilty, he shall have the right of appeal . • In informal style, the indicative mood or “should / may + infinitive” are used instead: • --- If the rumour is true, everything is possible. • --- He ran away lest he should be seen.

9. 条件句：A.真实条件句(Sentences of Real Condition)：提出的条件是可以实现的句子。 • B.非真实条件句(Sentences of Unreal Condition)：提出的条件与事实相反或不可能实现或实现的可能性极小。 • 现在虚拟式用在if从句中，并不表示非真实条件（虚拟条件），而是表示真实条件。这种句式只用在正式语体中，尤其是高雅语体中: • This, if the news be true, is a very serious matter. • If you be quick, you’ll see them.

10. 在法律文件中尤其经常用这种句式 • If any person be foud guilty, he shall have the right of appeal. • If从句更常使用一般现在时。现在虚拟式与一般现在时的区别不在意义上，而在语体上。

11. Lest在从句中使用should + 动词或现在时虚拟语气 • e.g. The President must reject this proposal, lest it cause strife and violence. (以免发生争斗和暴力) • He ran away lest he should be seen. • Be careful lest you fall. • 但是，实际上有时也可以见到lest从句使用陈述语气的例子。 • I had to grab the iron rail at my side lest I slipped. • 应注意，各类考试题只承认lest he (should) do的用法。

12. ____ I’ll marry him all the same. • A. Was he rich or poor B. Whether rich or poor • C. Were he rich or poor D. Be he rich or poor • The business of each day, ___ selling goods or shipping them, went quite smoothly. • A. it being B. be it C. was it D. it was

13. 表示让步有多种多样的手段，如although, though, while, whereas, even though (if), when, much as (though, that), whether …or, no matter, whether。 • 此外，还有一种手段来表示让步关系：倒装be的虚拟语气。这是一种较为罕见而多少又带点文学色彩的结构。 • Be he friend or foe, the law regards him as a criminal. • Be the problem easy or difficult, this method applies. • No man loves his fetters, be they made of gold. • And come again, be it by day or night.

14. 3) In certain formulaic expressions • The be-subjunctive is also used in some formulaic expressions to express a wish, prayer, curse, etc. The formulaic use tends to be formal and old fashioned in style. • --- Long live our motherland! • --- God bless you! • ---- So be it. • •“may” can also be used: • --- May they live long. • --- May God bless you. • --- So may it be. • •Sometimes “be” can be omitted: • --- Success (be) to you!

15. I will come if need be. • 此处的need是名词，be是现在虚拟式，其意义为it there be need = if it’s necessary • e.g. If need be, help him to do it.

16. 16.2 WERE - subjunctive • The were-subjunctive has only one form “were”, which applies to subjects of all persons. The were-subjunctive is hypothetical and unreal in meaning. • 1) In certain adverbial clauses • The were-subjunctive is commonly used in adverbial clauses introduced by if, if only, as if, as though, though, etc. to denote an unreal condition or concession. • --- If it were not so cold, I should go out. • --- He looks as if he were sick.

17. B.非真实条件句(Sentences of Unreal Condition)：提出的条件与事实相反或不可能实现或实现的可能性极小。 • 从时间方面来看，非真实条件句分为三类： • a.假设的条件与现在的事实或长久的事实相反：条件从句的谓语动词用过去时，而主句的谓语动词用would/should + Verb • e.g. If light could of itself pass round an object, there would be no shadows.

18. b.假设的条件与过去的事实相反：条件句的谓语动词用过去完成时, 主句谓语动词 should/would/might/could have done • e.g. There is no doubt that if she had not lost her rudder she would have won the race easily. • c.假设的条件在将来不可能实现或实现的可能性极小，即与预料的情况相反：从句谓语动词 should/would/were to+Verb,主句谓语动词 should/would do • e.g. If green plants should disappear some day, there would hardly be any life on the earth.

19. 2) In certain nominal clauses • The were subjunctive is also used in nominal clauses after verbs like wish, would rather, suppose, imagine, etc. to denote a hypothetical situation. • --- I wish I were young. • --- I’d rather I were in bed. • Note: • •I wish I were young. ( subjunctive, formal) • was ( indicative, informal) • •He looks as if he were sick.(subjunctive, unreal, formal) • was ( indicative, unreal, infml.) • is ( indicative, real)

20. Were must be used: • A.In the set expression “ if I were you”, “was” can be used, but people still tend to use “were” in stead of was. • B.In the conditional clause with inverted word order, were can only be used. • --- Were I to do it (= If I were to do it), I should rely on you. • C. In the set expression “as it were” (= so to speak), “was” cannot be used. • --- He is my best friend, my second self, as it were

21. 1. If I was strong enough, I would help you. • 人们通常用was,但是在正式的语体中要求使用were代替was。英语测试仍用were。 2. If it weren’t for my job, I’d come with you. • 这是一个表示与现在事实相反的非真实条件句，weren’t为虚拟语气。 这一习语（如果不是，如果没有）无论在正式或非正式语体中，都不能用was来代替。在正式语体中，尤其是科技英语中，也可以写成无连词的形式：Were it not for …

22. 在if条件从句中，如果含有were, should, had等动词，就可以通过主谓倒装来取消连词if，而变成无连词条件从句。 e.g. Were it not for your help, I would still be homeless. • If it had not been for the rain / Had it not been for the rain, we would have had a good harvest. 3. “Were to + 动词原形”用在条件从句中，专门用于表达与将来预料的事实可能相反的假设，它不能表达与现在事实相反的假设。 • e.g. If I were to do that, what would you say? • (估计不会去做那件事)

23. If she were to try harder next time, she would pass the exam. (但是我预料她不会学习更努力一些的) • Were I to meet him tomorrow, I should ask him about it. (暗含：估计不能预见他) • 由were, should, had构成的无连词(无if)非真实条件从句既能位于句首，也能位于句末。 • e.g. I should ask him about it were I to meet him. • There’d be a clear case for legal action over this matter were it likely to make life difficult for all of us.

24. 4. It’s time + clause (虚拟语气过去时)：并非过去时间，而是表示现在或将来时间。此用法主要用于表示说话人的观点或信念，它意味着讲话的此时此刻并未发生，而说话人希望其尽快发生并往往含有动作早该发生的意思。 • e.g. It’s time we went. 我们早该走了。 • 英国英语中也有人用should：It’s time we should leave. • 也可以用could, 但不用would： Isn’t it about time our baby could walk?

25. 5. Would rather do / you did • 1)Would rather 在Would rather do中可以看作情态动词（宁愿）；在would rather + that-clause中可看作是及物动词，与宾语从句连用，表示愿望；如果宾语从句的谓语动词使用用过去完成时，则表示与过去事实相反的愿望。 • e.g. I’d rather that you hadn’t told me about it. • 2)虽然虚拟语气过去时常常表示与现在事实相反的情况，而在 would rather + that-clause中虚拟语气过去时只是表示探询式的礼貌，并不一定表示与事实相反。 • e.g. I’d rather we had dinner. 我真希望我们现在吃饭。

26. Would rather do 宁愿做某事，指的是现在或将来 • Would rather have done 宁愿过去做了某事，而实际上未做成 • e.g. We ourselves would rather have left on the 8th, but we didn’t leave till the 12th. • He would rather / sooner play than work.

27. would rather not / would not rather • 在一般的陈述句中，would rather本身并无否定式。否定词not是否定实义动词的(宁愿不…)，因此须放在实义动词前。 • e.g. I’d rather not tell you about it. • wouldn’t 这个缩写形式可用在疑问句中。当would not rather用在陈述句中时，则只有在否定对方的谈话或建议，才能成立。 • e.g. --- Wouldn’t you rather live in the country? • --- No, I would not. I’d rather live here. • I wouldn’t rather have an apple. • 我不愿意吃苹果。

28. 6. Would rather vs. would prefer • 1) Would prefer somebody to do something; 而前者不可以。 • e.g. I’d prefer him to paint the door blue. • 2)would rather后的从句谓语动词用过去虚拟式；而would prefer后的从句谓语动词是现在虚拟式(should+)动词原形。 e.g. She would prefer that he should do it in the kitchen. • I’d rather you didn’t mention the price.

29. *would rather…than / would prefer… rather than • A.在would rather ...than结构里，必须注意前项和后项的对称，即than所连接的词项必须与前面的词项在词性或结构上相一致。 • e.g. I’d rather stay in the motel than in an expensive hotel. • In fact, Mary would rather have left for San Francisco than have stayed in Los Angeles. • B.前者Than与舍去的连用，后者rather than与舍去的连用。 • I would prefer to read rather than sit idle.

30. Would prefer • 动词Prefer本身可以接动词不定式，也可接动名词。但是，would (should) prefer 一般只接名词、动词不定式或that从句，接动名词是非常罕见的。 e.g. Would you prefer a cocktail? Would you prefer to dance? • Prefer doing / to do e.g. Do you prefer to cook / cooking for yourself, or to eat / eating in a restaurant? 在意义上没有区别。

31. Prefer A to B 此句型中，如果A是动词，则采用-ing形式； 而在prefer A rather than B句型中，如果A是动词，则采用to-V形式。 e.g. I prefer to walk there rather than go by bus. While he was in the office he preferred doing something to doing nothing. • Prefer for sb. to do 这个用法只限于美国，一般英语词典都未收入。

32. 7. if only vs. only if • if only常用来表示感叹性的愿望，但并非总是用惊叹号： • If only he didn’t drive so fast. • If only he had arrived in time! • 但是，if only只是if的强化形式，应当看作是从属关联词，主要用在虚拟语气中，不仅能表达说话人的愿望，而且还能表达非真实的条件，因此，同if一样，也能引出条件状语从句： • If only you would help me next week, I would not be so nervous.

33. If only 有时可以写成if…only： • If I only knew! 要是我知道就好了。 • 它有时也能引导真实条件状语从句。 • e.g. If only it clears up, we’ll go. • 而only if 是由充当前置修饰语的副词only和从属连词if组合而成，前者仅仅起突出作用，并未改变后者的词义；有时写作only…if，表示唯一的条件。 • e.g. I will only come home if you come with me. • “Will you come?”“Only if you promise not to invite Mary.”

34. 8. I wish you to be happy: wish + object + object complement我希望你幸福。 • I wish you were happy. Wish + object clause 要是你幸福就好了。 • the wish that …：表示计划、命令、愿望、意图或建议的名词，其后的同位语从句有时候用现在虚拟式(be型)，尤其是美国英语中，英国英语则用should do结构。 • e.g. They expressed the wish that she accept the award.

35. 9. Conditional Sentences of mixed time 错综时间条件句 • 1)从句表示与过去的事实相反，主句表示与现在正在发生的情况相反。 • e.g. If you had not missed the bus, we would be enjoying their concert now. • 2) 从句表示与过去的事实相反，主句表示与现在的事实相反。 • e.g. If I had had your advantage, I’d be better now. • 3) 从句表示与过去正在发生的情况相反，主句表示与现在正在发生的情况相反。 • e.g. If we hadn’t been working hard in the past few years, things wouldn’t be going so smoothly.

36. 4) 从句表示与过去的事实相反，主句表示将来不可能实现的事件。 • e.g. If I had earned some money last summer, I would go on a vacation next month. • 5)若从句表示将来实现可能性较小的条件或者说不大确定的条件，从句用主句用祈使句或一般将来时。这种结构常表示礼貌的请求或建议。 • e.g. If he should call, tell him I’ll ring back.