The subjunctive mood is the verb form used to explore a hypothetical situation, for example, If I were you, I would keep six feet away, or to express a wish, a demand, or a suggestion, for example, I demand he be present.
Consider these examples which illustrate an unreal situation.
■ 1. If I were Len, I would already know this lesson.
■ 2. I wish he were more like Leonardo DiCaprio.
As you can see, the normal subject-verb agreement indicated by
English language rules does not apply here. Another subjunctive
to be considered is the mandative subjunctive.
With verbs that express recommendation, resolution
and demand, the subjunctive is used with “that” clauses.
The normal subject-verb agreement is absent and a bare infinitive
follows.
Note: I recommendA mandative verb
that she give up
Normally, you'd expect "she gives up"
vaping. It's as bad as smoking.
There is also no difference in past time.
Examples:
■ I demand that he come on time to class.
■ I demanded that he come on time to class.
The following are common mandative verbs.
| Require | Insist | Suggest | |
| Ask | Request | Urge | Demand |
Important Notes:
■The mandative can be used without one of the "trigger" verbs indicated above.
It is important that he come on time to class.
■Also, the verbs listed above do not always have a trigger function.
Len insisted that Salima use a blue marker.
But, Salima insisted that her marker was, in fact, blue.
Finally, embedded questions can be formed using the mandative subjunctive.
Examples:
1. Did you insist that he come alone?
2. What did you suggest (that) she do?
Is this all clear to you? Yes? Well, then, I suggest that you take a
short test on the Mandative Subjunctive.
Check-Up: Identifying the Mandative Subjunctive
Indicate if the sentences below use the mandative subjunctive or not.
1) He requests that teachers and students not bring food to the classrooms.
2) ESPN reported that Brazil won the soccer game with Argentina.
3) Did you tell him that I wasn’t here?
4) The teacher asked that she pay attention in class.
5) The police officer asked to see Aleyna’s drivers license.
6) Bence insists that he was abducted by aliens in Area 51.
7) Maria Jose requested that Eleazar buy her flowers.
8) Vlad demanded that the entire class wear t-shirts.
9) Anastasia suggested that it was wrong of him to say that.
10) I urge that you hold him accountable.
Getting a Handle on the Mandative Subjunctive.
Let's see what you know so far.
Each sentence below is missing an element of the mandative subjunctive.
Use appropriate words to ensure their completion.
1. Lauriane insisted ________ her boyfriend buy her lunch.
2. Len requested that we _________ use our cellphones in the classroom.
3. Yesterday, Len and Abby ___________ that we get out and vote for Joe Biden. In a closely contested election, every vote counts.
4. The trainer suggested that Bence ___________his Madártej (bird's milk) at Ralph’s.
5. Gentlemen, we _________ that you not smoke within fifty feet of the school building for the sake of the children.
6. It is strongly suggested that he ___________ the safety regulations.
