Другое : Subjunctive (or conditional) mood
Subjunctive (or conditional) mood
Now we come to a very
difficult set of problems,
namely those connected with the subjunctive (or conditional) mood.
The chief difficulty
analysis has to face here is the absence of a mutual relation between meaning
and form. Sometimes the same external series of signs will have two or more
different meanings depending on factors lying outside the form itself, and
outside the meaning of the verb; sometimes the same modal meaning will be
expressed by two different series of external signs.
Let’s take, for example,
the sequence we should come, which means one thing in the sentence:
I think we should come
here again to-morrow (here we should come is equivalent to we ought
to come); it means another thing in the sentence:
If we knew that he wants
us we should come to see him (here we should come denotes a
conditional, i.e. an action depending on certain conditions), and it means
another thing again in the sentence:
How queer that we should come
at the very moment when you were talking about us! (here we should come denotes
an action which has actually taken place and which is considered as an object
for comment).
The second point may be
illustrated by comparing of two sentences, I suggest that he go and he I
suggest that should go, and we will for the present neglect the fact
that the first of the two variants is more typical of American, and the second
of British English.
Matters are still further complicated
by two phenomena where we are faced with a choice between polysemy and
homonymy. One of these concerns forms like lived, knew , etc. Such forms
appear in two types of contexts, of which one may be exemplified by the
sentences, He lived here five years ago, or I knew it all
alone, and the other by the sentences, If he lived here he would come
at once, or, If I knew his address I should write to him.
In sentences of the first
type the form obviously is the past tense of the indicative mood. The second
type admits of two interpretations: either the forms lived, knew, etc are the
same forms of past indicative that were used in the first type, but they have
acquired another meaning in this particular context, or else the forms lived,
knew, etc. are forms of some other mood, which only happen to be homonymous
with forms of the past indicative but are basically different.
Subjunctive mood may
express suppositional or desirable action.
1.
The verb to be
has in present tense the form be for all singular and plural
persons. The verb to be in the past tense has the form were
for singular and plural persons (I be, I were respectively).
2.
Forms be
or were are used for formation of Present and Past Subjunctive mood in
Passive voice (I be sent, I were sent respectively).
3.
All other verbs
in subjunctive mood differ from indicative mood by the form of the third person
of the Present time without ending –s.
Using of forms of Subjunctive mood.
I. The forms of Present Subjunctive of
the verb to be and of other verbs are used :
a)
In subordinate
clauses of subject, beginning with conjunction that after impersonal
turns such as: it is necessary (необходимо), it is important
(важно), it is desirable
(желательно) and so on:
Ex. It is desirable that he be there
at 5 o’clock. (Желательно,
чтобы он был здесь в пять часов.)
b)
In subordinate
clauses of object, expressing order, offer, resoluteness, accord – to
order, to command приказать, to suggest, to propose предлагать, to decide решать, to
agree соглашаться, договариваться.
The workers demanded that the
law be put into effect.
c)
In subordinate
clauses of purpose after conjunction lest:
Ex. They covered the goods with
canvas lest they be damaged by rain. (Они покрыли товар брезентом, чтобы
они не были повреждены дождем).
Present Subjunctive is
used mainly in the USA, in England this form is remained only in official
language (acts of the law, document); in a modern literary language and in a
spoken language Present Subjunctive is replaced by construction should with
infinitive.
The form of Past Subjunctive of the
verb to be- were is used:
a)
In a subordinate
part of conditional sentences of the second type:
Ex. If he were here, he would
help us. ( Если
бы он был здесь, он помог бы нам.)
If I were you, I would accept
their offer. (Если
бы я был на вашем месте, я бы принял их предложение.)
b)
In subordinate
sentences of course of action (образа действия),
beginning with conjunctive as if:
Ex. He spoke as if he were
a specialist on the subject. ( Он говорил, как если бы он был специалистом по этому
вопросу.)
c)
In subordinate
sentences of object with the verb to wish:
Ex. I wish he were with! (Как я хотела, чтобы он был с
нами.)
From all forms of Subjunctive mood
the form were is the most spread, but it is often replaced by the form was
in the first and the third persons of a singular form. It is especially
typical for colloquial speech.
Ex. If he was here, he would
help us.
Thus, those few forms of the
Subjunctive mood that are preserved in the modern language are gradually ousted
from it.
The desirable and suppositional
actions are expressed also by the following combinations: should, would,
may, might plus infinitive, which perform the functions of the
Subjunctive mood.
Ex. There are some suggestions that might
help in our work. (Имеются некоторые предположения, которые могли бы помочь в нашей
работе).
Conditional
sentences.
Conditional sentences are
closely connected with subjunctive (conditional) mood. There are three types of
conditional sentences.
Conditional sentences of
the first type express entirely real and realizable
suppositions and correspond in Russian language to conditional sentences
with verbs in indicative mood. These conditional sentences mostly
express suppositions referring to the future tens.
Ex. If the weather is
fine to-morrow, we shall go to the country. (Если завтра будет хорошая погода, мы поедем за город.)
There is no necessity to further
consider this type of conditional sentences as they do not conform to the
theme.
The conditional sentences
of the second type express incredible and improbable suppositions.
They refer to the present or future and in Russian language
agree with conditional sentences with verbs in Subjunctive mood
(i.e. in the form of past tens with the particle бы in Russian language). In the conditional sentences of
the second type in subordinate clause (in condition) there used the form of
Past Indefinite and in main clause (in consequence) – a combination of should
or would with Indefinite Infinitive:
Ex. If Helen knew**
about Alice’s arrival (now), she would call her up. (Если бы Елена знала о
прибытии Алисы, она бы ей позвонила).
(Given sentence is
incredible as Helen does not know about Alice’s arrival that is why she can not
call her up.)
Ex. If my brother had**
a time now, he would help them. ( Если бы у моего брата было время, он бы
помог нам.)
(This sentence is also
impossible as the brother has not time now that is why he can not help us.)
** We have here
Subjunctive mood which however coincides with the form of Past Indefinite of
Indicative mood.
The combinations such as:
1. Should (with all persons) with
Infinitive without particle to;
2. Were (with all persons) with
Infinitive with particle to.
are used along with Past Indefinite
in order to underline a small possibility of realization of a fact in future.
Ex. If I should see
him to-morrow,
I should ask him
about it.
If I were to see
him to-morrow,
I should ask him
about it.
(Если бы
я увидел его завтра, я спросил бы его об этом.)
In subordinate clauses
there used sometimes combinations of would with Infinitive. In this case
the verb would is not an auxiliary verb but serves to show a request.
Ex. We should be obliged
if you would acknowledge receipt of this letter. (Мы были бы обязаны, если бы
Вы подтвердили (были любезны подтвердить) получение этого письма).
The following examples of
sentences may also be regarded as sentences of unreal conditions for the
present and future:
1. I wish I knew it. (Как жаль, что я этого не
знаю).
2. I fear lest he should be late.
(Я боюсь, как бы
он не опоздал).
3. He spoke as if he were a
doctor. (Он
говорил так, как-будто он доктор).
4. I suggest that he should
go there too. (Я
предлагаю, чтобы он тоже туда пошел).
5. Knew Helen his address she would visit
him. (Знай Елена
его адрес, она бы навестила его).
6.
It is
necessary that he should
come. (Необходимо,
чтобы он пришел).
Conditional sentences of the third type
express suppositions referring to the past and that is why they are unrealizable.
Like the Conditional sentences of the second type they correspond in
Russian language to the Conditional sentences with a verb in Subjunctive
mood (i.e. with a verb in the form of past tens with a particle бы in Russian language).
In the Conditional
sentences of the third type in the subordinate clause (in the condition) there
used the form of Past Perfect and in the main clause (in the
consequence) there used a combination would with Perfect Infinitive (without
to).
Ex. If your instructions had
been received** ten days ago, the goods would have been shipped by
the S.S “Svir” yesterday. (Если бы ваши указания были получены десять
дней назад, товар был бы отгружен вчера пароходом «Свирь»).
** We have here the
form of Subjunctive mood which coincides with the form of Past Perfect of
Indicative mood.
The unreal condition
of the past moment
can be expressed also by other ways:
1. Without using of
conjunction If:
Ex. Had I seen him
yesterday I should have informed him. (Увидь я его вчера, я бы сообщил ему об этом.)
2. By using of the model
verb might:
Ex. He might
have done it if he tried.
(Он смог бы это
сделать, если бы попытался).
4.
By using of the
verb wish:
Ex. I wish(ed)
I had known him then.
(Как жаль, что я его не
знала тогда).
It is worth while giving
example of the case of using the Conditional sentences of the mixed type:
Ex. If you had worked
harder then you would know English better. (Если бы ты занимался усерднее
(раньше, когда-то), (сейчас) ты бы знал английский лучше).
Finally, it is
appropriate mention here those scholars who devoted themselves to studying the
problems of moods:
M. Deutschbein (he proposed 16 moods);
Prof. Smirnitsky (he proposed the system of 6 moods:
indicative, imperative, subjunctive1, subjunctive2, suppositional and
conditional);
Prof. G. Vorontsova;
M. Gantina and N.
Vasilevskaya and others.
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