Forms
English has present subjunctive and past subjunctive forms, which can be compared with the corresponding present indicative and past indicative forms (the familiar present and past tense forms of verbs). The distinction between present and past is one of tense; the distinction between indicative and subjunctive is one of mood. Note that these terms are used here merely as names for forms that verbs take; the use of present and past forms is not limited to referring to present and past time. (Sometimes the term subjunctive is used only to refer to what is called here the present subjunctive.)
The present subjunctive is identical to the bare infinitive (and imperative) of the verb in all forms. This means that, for almost all verbs, the present subjunctive differs from the present indicative only in the third-person singular form, which lacks the ending -(e)s in the subjunctive.
- Present indicative: I own, you own, he/she/it owns, we own, they own
- Present subjunctive: (that) I own, (that) you own, (that) he/she/it own, (that) we own, (that) they own
With the verb be, however, the two moods are fully distinguished:
- Present indicative: I am, you are, he/she/it is, we are, they are
- Present subjunctive: (that) I be, (that) you be, (that) he/she/it be, (that) we be, (that) they be
Note also the defective verb beware, which lacks indicative forms, but has a present subjunctive: (that) I beware...
The two moods are also fully distinguished when negated. Present subjunctive forms are negated by appending the word not before them.
- Present indicative: I don't own, you don't own, he/she/it doesn't own...; I am not...
- Present subjunctive: (that) I not own, (that) you not own, (that) he/she/it not own...; (that) I not be...
The past subjunctive exists as a distinct form only for the verb be, which has the form were throughout:
- Past indicative: I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were
- Past subjunctive: (if) I were, (if) you were, (if) he/she/it were, (if) we were, (if) they were
In the past tense there is no difference between the two moods as regards manner of negation: I was not; (if) I were not. Verbs other than be are described as lacking a past subjunctive, or possibly as having a past subjunctive identical in form to the past indicative: (if) I owned; (if) I did not own.
Certain subjunctives (particularly were) can also be distinguished from indicatives by the possibility of inversion with the subject, as described under Inversion in condition clauses below.
Read more about this topic: English Subjunctive
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