Complex sentences

If only somebody did something

Had rather/'d rather, had sooner/'d sooner, would rather, would sooner somebody would/had rather/sooner do/not do smth

Somebody had better do/not do smth

SIMPLE SENTENCES

Subjunctive II

•Subjunctive II represents an action as contrary to reality:

e.g. I wish he were with us (my desire contradicts the actual state of things - he is not with us).

•Subjunctive II has two tenses: the present and the past.

The present Subjunctive is homonymous with the Past Indefinite or Past Continuous.

The past Subjunctive II is homonymous with the Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.

•The verb be has the form were for all persons: e.g. he, she it were, I were.

Subjunctive II is used in simple sentences to express:

1. Advice in a set expression had better / 'd better:

e.g. You had better go there at once.

2. Preference in set expressions

e.g. I would rather leave it to you.

3. An unreal wish in sentences beginning with Oh, that, Oh if, If, If only.

e.g. If only I knew it for sure!

4. Subjunctive II of modal verbs is often used to express that something is desirable, advisible,
possible:

e.g. What should I do to make us happier?

Can you tell us if there's a farm where we could stay the night.

Modal verbs have no past Subjunctive II. Reference to the past is made by using the perfect infinitive:

e.g. You really should have helped your friend.

Subjunctive II is used in:

1. In clauses after the expression of wish:

		somebody did/did not do smth
	wishes	smb were doing smth
smb	wished	smth were done
	will wish	smb had done smth smth had been done

e.g. I wished I knew what to say, what to do.

Note: To make the sentence more emphatic «would + infinitive» is used with reference to the future, provided the subjects are different: e.g. There was silence between us, I wished she would go away.

2. Clauses after expressions of preference:

'd		smb did not do smth
smb had	rather
would		smb had not done smth

e.g. I'd rather you went there.

I'd rather you had told the truth.

3. Indirect questions beginning with if or whether and depending on expression of negative or doubtful meaning:

e.g. While I went to see if this were possible, she waited in the hall.

4. In clauses introduced by the conjunctions as if, as though, with the link verbs be, look, seem, feel

be/not
look	as if	sb did smth
seem	as though	sb had done smth
feel

e.g. It's not as if you knew him.

5. In clauses modifying the noun time:

e.g. It's time he came.

6. After the conjunctions even if, even though to express concession:

e.g. Even though he were here, he would not help us.

7. After the conjunctions as if, as though to express comparison or manner:

e.g. He loved the child as if she were his own daughter.

Дата добавления: 2015-06-04