College English
Mood of the Verb
NAME OF LECTURER HANSEL HOPE PEREZ
DATE OF LECTURE
OUTLINE If something is hypothetical, or contrary to fact, use the
I. Mood A. Indicative subjunctive.
II. Tense, Voice and Mood
Mood B. Imperative PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE:
III. Types of Moods Mood To express a suggestion, a necessity, or an indirect
C. Subjunctive command/order.
Mood
Examples:
What is mood? 1. The teacher recommended that I be in her class.
2. I recommend that you be on time the rest of the year.
LIFE DEFINITION 3. The judge suggested that we be given first prize.
How you are feeling at a given time 4. I demand that he do the assignment.
5. Her mom insisted that she not play tomorrow night.
LITERATURE DEFINITION 6. I insist that Michael come early.
7. I strongly suggest that he cooperate with the police.
The reader’s emotional response
The atmosphere of a story
Present Subjunctive
MOOD IN GRAMMAR
Verb to be: were If I were king, If he were king.
The form a verb takes to indicate the ATTITUDE of the
Other verbs: worked If I worked, If he worked.
person using the verb.
Verb moods are classifications that indicate the attitude of
the speaker.
Past Subjunctive
Tense, Voice, Mood Verb to be: had been If I had been king, If he had been
TENSE – shows time (past, present, future) king.
VOICE – shows who’s doing an action or having action Other verbs: had worked If I had worked, If he had worked.
done to them
MOOD – shows attitude (telling a fact, giving a command, Present Conditional
expressing a wish) could, would + base form of You would be queen.
verb He could earn high wages.
INDICATIVE MOOD
Express a fact, opinion, or question Past Conditional
You use the indicative mood in most statements and could, would + have + past You would have been queen.
questions. participle of verb He could have earned high wages
Examples:
1. Aric will attend the program. PAST SUBJUNCTIVE:
2. Alex will not come to the meeting. To express an untrue condition or a wish or desire.
3. Andrew is sure about this matter.
4. I am going to discuss it. Examples:
5. I love to listen to melodious songs. 1. I wish you were in my English class.
2. I wish Mr. McGowan weren’t so awesome.
IMPERATIVE MOOD 3. If I were you, I wouldn’t do that.
Direct command or request
Imperative statements have an understood subject of “you” COMMON VERBS
and therefore take second‐person verbs. Ask
Demand
Examples: Determine
1. Work sincerely. Insist
2. Try to keep quiet. Move
3. Please have your food on time. Order
4. Write clearly. Pray
5. Read it out loud.
Prefer
Recommend
SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD Regret
Request
The most common use of the subjunctive mood is in Require
contrary‐to‐fact or hypothetical statements. Suggest
In your own writing, you must decide which statements Wish.
should be in the subjunctive mood.
If something is likely to happen, use the indicative.
