Choose the right form of subjunctive moood

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

I should be delighted if he . . . to stay with us next year.
a) comes b) came c) would came

please with the explanation
thanks in advance!

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2

I would use ‘would come’ but that doesn’t appear to be an option.
Of the options, I would use ‘came’.

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3

[color=blue]I agree that ‘would come’ is a decent choice. But my main comment about this question is that it demonstrates some of the weird grammar of the English language. For example, many native speakers would choose “came”, even though it is talking about the future.
I think that he most sensible thing to say would be ‘I will be delighted if he comes to stay…’.

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4

Surely it must be ‘came’ indicating past subjunctive.

5

Hi Bee,

Does modern grammar accept “comes” as the correct choice ?

I see “next year”, it tells me something happens in the future, not present.
Could you confirm the present subjunctive like “come” (not comes) as below is correct or not ?
I should be delighted if he SHOULD COME/ COME to stay with us next year.

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6

You have to choose the right subjunctive to balance the other half. I shall/will be delighted if he come/I should be delighted if he came.

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7

oh yeah, Now I understand. Thank you Alan.

As your explanation, I take that Should is the past tense of Shall. It’s like a double blades.For balancing the tense, I understood why it should take the past subjunctive (Came/would come) as Bee suggested.

In another hand, It is really confusing me. I just think of the word “should” which is used in present tense like: I should leave. (I’d better go now).

Any advice when I should treat [should] is the past tense of shall, When I should think of it as an advice for the present in : I should go now.

Why people do not use : [I shall leave] instead [I should leave] for talking about present any more ? (but they still use “Shall we go / shall I go ?”)

I am aware that modal verbs have many usages. Maybe, What I asked, the usage of shall in my case above has nothing to do with subjunctive.

I also know the meaning of shall. (thought I’m not confident enough to say I know its meaning in every context). The teacher once told me, when you use “I/We will”, you can replace it with “Shall”. Originally, I and We go with shall, but nowadays, will can take place and is accepted.

8

Hi teachers,
Could you help me to clear my confusion ?
I’m not looking for a perfect answer, Any opinion is appreciate .
Thank you

9

‘Shall’ as a modal verb is used to express a future action with the first person singular and plural. When we say: I shall go now or 'I’ll go now, we simply state that is what we are going to do next. ‘Should’ as you have said, started life as the past form of ‘shall’ and has since then been used to express different meanings. It can express necessity or obligation and that is the sense in your example -

. This means I am obliged to go now and this could be because someone is waiting for me, or example. It could also mean that it is appropriate for me to go now because I have stayed here too, for example.

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10

Thank you Alan.

11

Beeesneees,

  1. He looks as if he knew the answer.(past subjunctive)
  2. He looked as if he knew the answer.(past subjunctive)
    Are both past subjunctives?
    Do the mean the same irrespective tense in the main clauses?
  3. It’s (high) time you started on your homework. (past subjunctive)
  4. It’s (high) time you start on your homework. (present subjunctive)
    Are #3 and #4 OK?
    Is #3 is past subjunctive?
    Is #4 is present subjunctive?
    Please comment. Thanks.
12

4 is incorrect
1 doesn’t make sense. Why would you want to say he looks (now) as if he knew the answer (in the past)?

13

Beeesneees,

  1. He looks as if he knew the answer.(past subjunctive)
  2. She walks as if she were a supermodel.
  3. He spends money as if he owned a bank.
    If #1 is wrong, how are #2 and 3?
    To make #2 and #3 as past subjunctive, should I change the verbs to past tense in the main clause?
    Please comment and guide me.
    Thanks.
14

2 and 3 are plausible and logical because they are similes. The latter phrases are used as a means of describing what the former is like.
That does not happen in 1.

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