Till Death DO Us Part

I know I have talked extensively about the subjunctive mood in English before, and I have explained that, for the most part, it is not necessary that one SAY it in many of its older forms, but there are times that it is important that one USE it. With that said, I shall once again exposit on this idea until everyone GET it right.

What is the subjunctive mood? It's one of three moods (or four, to some people) in the English language. It is the rarest of all moods in that its use has died out in the last one hundred years, and really over the past three hundred years as verb conjugations in English have reached a near entropic state. When 2nd person singular, "thou" died around AD c1700, English lost one of its final two verb conjugations. All that remained now was third person singular present indicative and the "to be" verb. All other verbs had a uniformed conjugation in all persons whether it be past or present indicative or past or present subjunctive.

Somehow, as explained in the previous article, 3rd person singular, instead of dying out, morphed from an -[e]th suffix to an -[e]s suffix. Who knows why this happened? The only thing one knows is that it did happen. Here is the best way to describe it in modern English examples:

Example: I hope that you (might) be as happy with your new life as I am with mine.

Example: I hope that he (might) have time to do it.

The infinitive "to do" here is also a subjunctive verb. Most infinitives in English are subjunctive in nature, but the fact is that, when conjugated, English has replaced their subjunctive forms with modals such as can, shall, will, could, would, may, might, should, and so on. I'll show it below in the first example:

Example: I hope that he (might) have time [so that] he can do it.

Example: I can only hope not to have been seen by the guards.

Example: I want you to make sure that he (shall) have it done by tomorrow.

Example: If I (should) die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

A thousand years ago, before modals, when the subjunctive in English flourished, this concept in the above examples would have easily been recognized as being subjunctive by the naked eye. Also, as highlighted, one can see that "can do" is subjunctive in nature since it is following the conjunction, "so that" in example one. This version can be seen in other modern languages as being subjunctive in nature and would have easily jutted out in Old and Middle English. In fact, if one were to take a French course, he would see that the conjunction "so that" in French also opens up a subjunctive clause. In fact, it does this in English, too, but very few people say it with one:

Example: I shall do it myself so that nothing go wrong.

Example: I bless this house in the name of God so that peace be brought unto this family.

Example: When(ever) he arrive, he shall do it. No matter what the weather be like; whether it be cold or warm, be it sunny or cloudy, he shall have it done. Nothing shall keep him from doing it.

The third example above is one that has changed over the last one hundred and fifty years. A person can say it like the example above, but if he were to say any of those in the present indicative except, "be it sunny or cloudy", he would still be grammatically correct under modern English syntax because grammatical rules have attenuated in an effort to remove the subjunctive from the language. This means that examples like, "He'll do it when(ever) he have time" can read, "He'll do it when(ever) he has time" or "He'll do it when(ever) he may have time".

Below are some more examples of "infinitive" subjunctive verbs with their conjugated subjunctive form's being subjacent. The conjugated forms may sound very stilted because in Modern English, they are hardly ever put into these forms; they almost always exist in the infinitive subjunctive form so if you be a novice to the English subjunctive mood, then you should sit back because this might test your mettle:

Example: It's (un)likely for him to attempt suicide in the next forty-eight hours.

Example: It's (un)likely that he attempt suicide in the next forty-eight hours.

Example: It's (im)possible for him to know that information.

Example: It's (im)possible that he know that information.

Example: It's critical for her to pass.

Example: It's critical that she pass.

Example: It was good (bad) for him to learn the subjunctive.

Example: It was good (bad) that he learn the subjunctive. (try to stay away from this construction and some others like it because the slightest error can change the entire meaning and it sounds stilted)

The examples below are showing when to use the subjunctive in the below situation so that you not put the wrong verb in the sentence in the present subjunctive mood:

Example: [It is good] to know that you are learning something useful.

Example: [It is good] that I (or one) know that you are learning something useful.

Example: [It is good] that you are learning something useful.

Then there is the past subjunctive. It's the easiest because the only verb change in all of English is the "to be" verb and it only happens in 1st and 3rd person singular so there is a one out of three chance that one will not have to think about it. As for the rest of the verbs, you just have to remember that every other verb form in Modern English is now a doppelganger of its Past Indicative. That's simple enough, isn't it?

Furthermore, the past subjunctive normally occurs in nonrestrictive clauses except for a few exceptions such as desiderative cases (wishes). Remember that the Past Subjunctive in English is not expressing anything that has occurred in the past. It is expressing a situation or event or something that is totally hypothetical or contrary-to-fact. It is meant to bring you into a different form of reality in either the past, the present, or the future that goes against what has happened, what is happening, or what will happen. With that said, here goes:

Example: Unless I were on my death bed, I wouldn't divulge anything to you.

Example: I would not go until (or unless) I were absolutely sure that it is safe.

Example: He wouldn't do anything of the sort except in the unlikely event that his life were threatened.

Example:
Past subjunctive: He would be really tired if he climbed that hill.

Present subjunctive: He will be really tired if he climb that hill.

The example below is a hypothetical story being told by a megalomaniac:

Example: Snively, I can't stand being treated like this by that vile wretch of a king. If I could, I would crush him like the bug that he is. Then, once I were in power, I would raze this kingdom as if it were a mere ant colony; thus eviscerating the rabbles that might try to regain the crown from me.

Oh Snively, how I have longed that I have (present subjunctive) the power and the resources to perform (infinitive subjunctive) such an undertaking. Just think, if I were in power and you were still with me, you could be my right-hand man—my warlord—my puppet. Ahhhh...God save (present subjunctive) us all, Snively, especially He save (present subjunctive) the king!

The above story is totally hypothetical. Notice that the speaker is in a trancelike, irreal state. He is not telling something that has already happened; he is telling something that he wishes were going to happen. This is sometimes a hard concept, but simple English subjunctive is normally pretty easy. I should hope that I might not have to expatiate on this subject again.